Loading...
Red blood cell exchange transfusion (ET) has been used as an adjunctive treatment for severe babesiosis for over four decades, but studies defining its benefits are lacking. To assess the effectiveness of ET, investigators analyzed data on adults hospitalized with babesiosis from 2010 to 2024 across ≈80 health centers in the Northeastern U.S. The ≈630 eligible patients had a parasitemia level above 10%, or from 5% to 10% with either severe organ injury or severe hemolytic anemia. One third underwent ET within the first 7 days of hospitalization; their outcomes were compared with those of patients who did not.
The primary end point of in-hospital death or readmission within 30 days occurred significantly less often with than…