The Role of Hemoperfusion in COVID-19 Infection: A Case Series

The rapid expansion of a novel human infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has evolved into a pandemic, affecting thousands of people world wild. Some patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) develop severe infection, which may progress to acute respiratory distress syndrome, multiple organ failure, and death. Increasing studies indicate that abnormal elevation of cytokine levels in response to SARS-CoV-2 may contribute to the pathological process that leads mortality of COVID-19. Thus, application of extracorporeal hemoperfusion (HP) for removal of excessive cytokines from the blood can potentially mitigate or reverse cytokine storm related complications of COVID-19. Here, we presented series of COVID-19 patients, who were treated with HP (HA 380 cartridge, Jafron Biomedocal Co, China). The medical records were evaluated retrospectively to determine the effect of HP on patients’ clinical outcome. Our results showed that HP improvee PO2 and O2 saturation in patients with severe COVID-19. After the last courses of HP, 5 out of 6 patients were extubated and transferred to the general ward with an acceptable medical condition. The following case series demonstrate the promising role of HP in controlling the consequential effect of cytokine storm following a COVID-19 infection, which could facilitate patient survival.