Emergency Medicine Reports – April 1, 2017
April 1, 2017
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Tranexamic Acid in Trauma
Tranexamic acid or TXA is a potent antifibrinolytic that has the potential to decrease clot breakdown and reduce bleeding in trauma patients. Studies have shown that the use of TXA in trauma patients improves overall survival, although these studies have been discounted as not being relevant to trauma care as practiced in well-resourced countries. Thus, the adoption of TXA into trauma protocols in U.S. centers has been slow and controversial. Further studies are needed to answer questions about which patient populations can benefit most from TXA and how it should be used in highly developed and well-resourced trauma systems and centers.