Does Tranexamic Acid Improve Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Urgent or Emergency Surgery?

Tranexamic acid for reducing mortality in emergency and urgent surgery.

BACKGROUND Emergency or urgent surgery, which can be defined as surgery which must be done promptly to save life, limb, or functional capacity, is associated with a high risk of bleeding and death. Antifibrinolytic agents, such as tranexamic acid, inhibit blood clot breakdown (fibrinolysis) and can reduce perioperative bleeding. Tranexamic acid has been shown to reduce the need for a blood tran...

Does tranexamic acid decrease bleeding in patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass?

We reviewed the records of 66 patients who underwent cardiopulmonary bypass; half of these patients received the plasmin inhibitor, tranexamic acid. The demographics were not different between the group who received tranexamic acid and the group who did not (control group). There was no difference in the heparin or protamine requirements between the two groups. There was a significantly greater...

1344159 - Pharmacokinetics of Tranexamic Acid in Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery

Introduction: Tranexamic acid (TXA) is routinely used during cardiac surgical procedures involving cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in order to reduce blood loss [1]. Although the optimum dose of TXA has been a subject of debate, a dosing regimen also sometimes referred to as the BART dose remains a popular choice for high-risk cardiac surgery [2]. The pharmacokinetics of TXA during the perioperati...

Commentary: Tranexamic Acid in Patients Undergoing Coronary-Artery Surgery

Does tight glycemic control improve outcomes in pediatric patients undergoing surgery and/or those with critical illness?

This literature review examines the current evidence regarding the potential usefulness of tight glycemic control in pediatric surgical patients. In adults, fluctuations in glucose levels and/or prolonged hyperglycemia have been shown to be associated with poor outcomes with respect to morbidity and mortality. This review begins by summarizing the findings of key papers in adult patients and co...