Zehra Beştepe Dursun1, Serdal Korkmaz2, Zeynep Türe3, Leylagül Kaynar4, Adem Dursun5, İlhami Çelik1. 1. Department of Infectious Disease, Kayseri City Hospital, University of Health Science University, Kayseri, Turkey. 2. Department of Hematology, Kayseri City Hospital, University of Health Science University, Kayseri, Turkey. 3. Department of Infectious Disease, Faculty of Medicine, University of Erciyes, Kayseri, Turkey. 4. Department of Hematology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Erciyes, Kayseri, Turkey. 5. Department of Paediatrics, Division of Pediatric Intensive Care, Erzurum City Hospital, University of Health Science University, Erzurum, Turkey.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To examine the efficacy of therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) in patients critically ill with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF). METHODS: Patients with CCHF received supportive treatment (ST) or TPE. After laboratory and clinical evaluations, the patients were divided into mild, moderate, and severe CCHF groups according to the severity score index (SSI). To assess the efficacy of TPE, the incubation period, time of admission to hospital, hospitalization duration, mortality rate and times to recovery of the platelet count and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels were compared between patients receiving ST and TPE. RESULT: A total of 119 confirmed CCHF cases was analyzed. The median SSIs were 7 in the TPE group and 5 in the ST group. The SSI stages, median incubation times and admission times were similar in the two groups. However, the duration of hospitalization was longer in the TPE group. The overall mortality rates were 9% (3 of 33 patients) in the TPE group and 16% (5 of 31 patients) in the ST group; the difference was significant. The platelet count recovered after a median of 6 (4-7) days in the ST group. CONCLUSION: The mortality rate was lower in the TPE group than in the ST group, but the duration of hospitalization and the time to platelet recovery were longer in the TPE group than in the ST group. TPE did not contribute significantly to the prognosis of patients with intermediate-severity CCHF. However, TPE might be efficacious in patients with severe CCHF.
OBJECTIVE: To examine the efficacy of therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) in patients critically ill with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF). METHODS: Patients with CCHF received supportive treatment (ST) or TPE. After laboratory and clinical evaluations, the patients were divided into mild, moderate, and severe CCHF groups according to the severity score index (SSI). To assess the efficacy of TPE, the incubation period, time of admission to hospital, hospitalization duration, mortality rate and times to recovery of the platelet count and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels were compared between patients receiving ST and TPE. RESULT: A total of 119 confirmed CCHF cases was analyzed. The median SSIs were 7 in the TPE group and 5 in the ST group. The SSI stages, median incubation times and admission times were similar in the two groups. However, the duration of hospitalization was longer in the TPE group. The overall mortality rates were 9% (3 of 33 patients) in the TPE group and 16% (5 of 31 patients) in the ST group; the difference was significant. The platelet count recovered after a median of 6 (4-7) days in the ST group. CONCLUSION: The mortality rate was lower in the TPE group than in the ST group, but the duration of hospitalization and the time to platelet recovery were longer in the TPE group than in the ST group. TPE did not contribute significantly to the prognosis of patients with intermediate-severity CCHF. However, TPE might be efficacious in patients with severe CCHF.