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Case Reports
. 2021 Feb;60(1):102956.
doi: 10.1016/j.transci.2020.102956. Epub 2020 Sep 24.

Convalescent plasma to aid in recovery of COVID-19 pneumonia in a child with acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Ravi Shankar  1 , Nita Radhakrishnan  1 , Seema Dua  2 , Satyam Arora  3 , Megha Rana  1 , Dinesh Kumar Sahu  4 , Sumit Rai  5 , Devendra Kumar Gupta  6
Affiliations
Case Reports

Convalescent plasma to aid in recovery of COVID-19 pneumonia in a child with acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Ravi Shankar et al. Transfus Apher Sci. 2021 Feb.

Abstract

The natural history of COVID-19 infection in children is still evolving as the pandemic unfolds. Few cases of severe and often fatal COVID-19 have been reported although the infection is mild in the large majority. Children with cancers are recognised as a high risk group for all infections. Since there aren't any definite treatment guidelines established in children with severe COVID, treatment is guided by adult recommendations which too are often not evidence based. We report the case of a 4-year-old girl with severe COVID-19 associated pneumonia who presented to us as febrile neutropenia. The use of convalescent plasma along with steroids and IVIG showed dramatic results in this child and she recovered without the need for any specific treatment. This is highlighted as one of the earliest cases that is reporting the use of convalescent plasma in a child; the first ever in a child with underlying malignancy.

Keywords: COVID-19; COVID-19 convalescent plasma; COVID-19 in paediatrics; COVID-19 pneumonia; COVID-19 with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

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Conflict of interest statement

None.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Chronological history of the presentations and treatment of the patient.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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