MADURAI: For the first time in South Tamil Nadu, convalescent plasma therapy trial began at Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) on Sunday.
Speaking to TNIE, GRH Dean Dr J Sangumani said a 72-year-old man from Madurai district was admitted to the hospital last week after testing positive for Covid. On Sunday night, the first of the two doses of convalescent plasma (donated earlier) was transfused to the septuagenarian.
Head of the Department of General Medicine Dr M Natarajan said, "According to the norms of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), only those who exhibit moderate Covid symptoms are eligible to undergo the clinical trial. Accordingly, the septuagenarian, who was admitted with dyspnoea (shortness of breath), was found to be compatible for the study after a series of comprehensive tests."
Notably, ICMR guidelines mandate that the study should be conducted under two simultaneous conditions -- with an intervention arm (comprising Covid patients with moderate symptoms who would receive convalescent plasma therapy) and a control arm (comprising Covid patients with moderate symptoms who would receive standard care).
"On Sunday night, the first of the two doses (200 ml each) of the donated convalescent plasma was transfused to the patient. He responded well since his dyspnoea has come down within 12 hours," pointed out Dr Natarajan. He added that the second dose would be transfused on Monday night (after a gap of 24 hours).
The septuagenarian would undergo a RT-PCR Cycle threshold (Ct) on the third and seventh day since the first dose, to ascertain the change in viral load, the senior doctor explained. At the same time, the participant's vitals would be closely monitored everyday, he added.
On May 8, ICMR approved 28 institutions across the country to conduct Convalescent Plasma to Limit COVID-19 Associated Complications in Moderate Disease (PLACID) Trial.
In Tamil Nadu, Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (Chennai), GRH in Madurai, Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital (TvMCH) and Christian Medical College (Vellore) were approved to conduct clinical trials.