SynthesisThe Journal of infectious diseases2015
The effectiveness of convalescent plasma and hyperimmune immunoglobulin for the treatment of severe acute respiratory infections of viral etiology: a systematic review and exploratory meta-analysis.
Synthesis in The Journal of infectious diseases, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 22 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 560 papers, 19 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Phase IIa Study Exploring the Safety and Efficacy of Convalescent Plasma From Recovered COVID-19 Donors Collected by Plasmapheresis as Treatment for Hospitalized Subjects With COVID-19 Infection
Efficacy and Safety of Treatment With Convalescent Plasma for Adults With COVID-19 Pneumonia. A Double-blinded, Randomized, Multicenter Placebo-controlled Trial
A Feasibility Study Assessing the Safety of Multiple Doses of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Plasma in Mechanically Ventilated Intubated Patients With Respiratory Failure Due to COVID-19
Phase II, Randomized, Double-blind, Controlled Clinical Trial Evaluating the Efficacy and Safety of Plasma From Patients Cured of COVID-19 Compared to the Best Available Therapy in Subjects With SARS-CoV-2 Pneumonia
Evaluation Of Efficacy Of COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma Versus Standard Plasma In The Early Care Of COVID-19 Patients Hospitalized Outside Intensive Care Units.
Efficacy and Safety of High-Titer Anti-SARS-CoV-2 (COVID19) Convalescent Plasma for Hospitalized Patients With Infection Due to COVID-19 to Decrease Complications: A Phase II Trial
Effectiveness and Safety of Convalescent Plasma Therapy on COVID-19 Patients With Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome in Referral Hospitals in Indonesia
Efficacy and Safety of Convalescent Plasma vs Human Immunoglobulin for the Treatment of COVID-19 Pneumonia: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Efficacy and Safety of Hyperimmune Plasma Treatment in Patients With COVID-19 Severe Infection
A Randomized, Multicenter Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of the Use of Convalescent Plasma (PC) and Human Intravenous Anti COVID-19 Immunoglobulin (IV Anti COVID-19 IgG) in Patients Hospitalized for COVID-19.
Intermediate IND Severe Illness COVID-19 CP
Investigational COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma Infusion for Severely or Life-threateningly Ill COVID-19 Patients
Treatment of Severe and Critical COVID-19 Pneumonia With Convalescent Plasma
Phase II Randomized Study of Convalescent Plasma From Recovered COVID-19 Donors Collected by Plasmapheresis as Treatment for Subjects With Early COVID-19 Infection
A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Trial of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Plasma in Hospitalized Non-ICU Patients With COVID-19
Treatment of Critically Ill Patients With Covid-19 With Convalescent Plasma
Expanded Access to Convalescent Plasma for the Treatment of Patients With COVID-19
Therapeutic Plasmapheresis in Critically Ill Adult Patients With COVID-19 Confirmed Diagnosis / Plasmaféresis terapéutica en Pacientes Adultos críticamente Enfermos Con diagnóstico Confirmado de COVID-19
Treatment of Severe Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) With Convalescent Plasma Collected From Individuals With Documented Infection and Recovery From COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2)
Convalescent Plasma in the Early Treatment of High-Risk Patients With SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Infection
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Antibodies Based Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG) Therapy for Severe and Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients
Clinical Trial of Convalescent Plasma Administration as Adjunct Therapy for COVID-19 (Uji Klinik Pemberian Plasma Konvalesen Sebagai Terapi Tambahan COVID-19)
Who cites it
560 citing papers in PubMed, 19 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 1,038 citations in OpenAlex.
- Convalescent Plasma Restores Viral Clearance After Anti-Spike Monoclonal Antibody Failure in Immunocompromised COVID-19 Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Individual Patient Data.Reviews in medical virology · 2026Pooled it
- Timing, Titre, and Host Determinants of Convalescent Plasma Efficacy in COVID-19: A Systematic Review With Design-Stratified Narrative Synthesis.Reviews in medical virology · 2026Pooled it
- The efficacy and safety of convalescent plasma for COVID-19 patients: a meta-analysis based on double-blinded parallel-arm randomized placebo-controlled trials.BMC infectious diseases · 2026Pooled it
- Convalescent plasma for people with COVID-19: a living systematic review.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2023Pooled it
- Convalescent Plasma Therapy for COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on Randomized Controlled Trials.Viruses · 2023Pooled it
- Convalescent plasma for people with COVID-19: a living systematic review.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2023Pooled it
- Hyperimmune immunoglobulin for people with COVID-19.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2023Pooled it
- Lessons learned from the use of convalescent plasma for the treatment of COVID-19 and specific considerations for immunocompromised patients.Transfusion and apheresis science : official journal of the World Apheresis Association : official journal of the European Society for Haemapheresis · 2022Pooled it
- Prospective individual patient data meta-analysis of two randomized trials on convalescent plasma for COVID-19 outpatients.Nature communications · 2022Pooled it
- Convalescent Plasma for Patients Hospitalized With Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Meta-Analysis With Trial Sequential Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.Transfusion medicine reviews · 2022Pooled it
- Convalescent plasma for COVID-19: a meta-analysis, trial sequential analysis, and meta-regression.British journal of anaesthesia · 2021Pooled it
- Association between convalescent plasma treatment and mortality in COVID-19: a collaborative systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.BMC infectious diseases · 2021Pooled it
- CONVALESCENT plasma for COVID-19: A meta-analysis of clinical trials and real-world evidence.European journal of clinical investigation · 2021Pooled it
- Antibody and cellular therapies for treatment of covid-19: a living systematic review and network meta-analysis.BMJ (Clinical research ed.) · 2021Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Efficacy of convalescent plasma therapy for COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of clinical apheresis · 2021Pooled it
- Convalescent plasma or hyperimmune immunoglobulin for people with COVID-19: a living systematic review.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2021Pooled it
- Convalescent Plasma for the Prevention and Treatment of COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Quantitative Analysis.JMIR public health and surveillance · 2021Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Efficacy of convalescent plasma in hospitalized COVID-19 patients: findings from a controlled trial.Brazilian journal of medical and biological research = Revista brasileira de pesquisas medicas e biologica · 2024Trial
500 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
- Commented on by
Authors and funding
11 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAdministration of convalescent plasma, serum, or hyperimmune immunoglobulin may be of clinical benefit for treatment of severe acute respiratory infections (SARIs) of viral etiology. We conducted a systematic review and exploratory meta-analysis to assess the overall evidence.
methodsHealthcare databases and sources of grey literature were searched in July 2013. All records were screened against the protocol eligibility criteria, using a 3-stage process. Data extraction and risk of bias assessments were undertaken.
resultsWe identified 32 studies of SARS coronavirus infection and severe influenza. Narrative analyses revealed consistent evidence for a reduction in mortality, especially when convalescent plasma is administered early after symptom onset. Exploratory post hoc meta-analysis showed a statistically significant reduction in the pooled odds of mortality following treatment, compared with placebo or no therapy (odds ratio, 0.25; 95% confidence interval, .14-.45; I(2) = 0%). Studies were commonly of low or very low quality, lacked control groups, and at moderate or high risk of bias. Sources of clinical and methodological heterogeneity were identified.
conclusionsConvalescent plasma may reduce mortality and appears safe. This therapy should be studied within the context of a well-designed clinical trial or other formal evaluation, including for treatment of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus CoV infection.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.