Convalescent plasma may be considered in COVID-19 patients with moderate disease who are not improving (oxygen requirement is progressively increasing) despite use of steroids, noted an advisory issued by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (Biological Division), here on Wednesday.
Also read:Study on plasma therapy is ongoing: ICMR
The Health Ministry last week released guidelines on clinical management protocol: COVID-19 where certain therapies were indicated for use as investigational therapies, in which convalescent plasma by plasmapheresis has been indicated as “Off Label” in COVID-19 patients.
The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation has said that special prerequisites while considering convalescent plasma include — ABO compatibility and cross-matching of the donor plasma; recipient should be closely monitored for several hours post transfusion for any transfusion-related adverse events and use should be avoided in patients with IgA deficiency or immunoglobulin allergy.
The dose is variable ranging from 4 to 13 ml/kg (usually 200 ml single dose given slowly over not less than 2 hours, it added.
BiPAP ventilators
Meanwhile, responding to allegations on the issue of Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure (BiPAP) mode not being available in the ventilators supplied by the Central government, the Health Ministry on Wednesday said ventilators supplied to the States and Union Territories, including Delhi, were meant for ICUs.
“The technical specifications for these COVID ventilators have been laid down by a Technical Committee of domain knowledge experts headed by the Director General Health Services (DGHS), against which the ventilators have been procured and supplied. The ventilators procured and supplied comply with these specifications,” said the Ministry in a release.
It added that ventilator models BEL and AgVa supplied to the States/ Union Territories are complying with the requirements as per the specifications laid down by the Technical Committee.
“These cost-effective, Made in India ventilators have BiPAP mode and other such modes as have been prescribed in the technical specifications. The ventilators are being supplied along with user manuals and feedback forms which must be referred to for clarity,” said the Ministry.
Releases prospectus
Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan on Wednesday released the Good Clinical Practice Guidelines Handbook and Prospectus for Fellowship Programme for International Students (FPIS) of the National Board of Examinations (NBE).
