The American surgeon
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The American surgeon · Jul 1995
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialThe use of tranexamic acid to reduce postoperative bleeding following cardiac surgery: a double-blind randomized trial.
Bleeding during the first 24 hours following cardiac surgery using cardio-pulmonary bypass (CPB) is a serious complication. Attempts to modify the degree of postoperative bleeding with pharmacologic therapy have met with limited success. Tranexamic acid, a potent inhibitor of plasminogen, may decrease the amount of mediastinal bleeding following surgery utilizing CPB. ⋯ Mediastinal blood loss in the treatment and control groups was 382 mL versus 594 mL at 6 hours (P = 0.08), 502 mL versus 848 mL at 12 hours (P = 0.04), and 711 mL versus 1160 mL at 24 hours (P = 0.02). The mean transfusion volumes after 24 hours were 356 mL in the treatment group and 528 mL in the placebo group (P = NS). Prophylactic tranexamic acid infusion decreases mediastinal blood loss following cardiopulmonary assisted cardiac surgery.