Effect of tranexamic acid on mortality in patients with haemoptysis: a nationwide study

[Severe hemoptysis in the onco-hematology patient]

In France, even though it occurs only exceptionally in cases of hemopathy, severe hemoptysis in cancer is the leading cause of hemoptysis. Without adequate treatment, in-hospital mortality exceeds 60%, even reaching 100% at 6 months. The management of severe hemoptysis should be discussed with the oncologist. Aside from situations of threatening hemoptysis, in which bronchoscopy should be performed immediately, CT angiography is an essential means of localizing the bleeding and determining the causes and the vascular mechanisms involved. In more than 90% of cases, hemoptysis is linked to systemic bronchial or non-bronchial hypervascularization, whereas in fewer than 5%, it is associated with pulmonary arterial origin or, exceptionally, with damage to the alveolar-capillary barrier. The most severely ill patients must be treated in intensive care in centers equipped with interventional radiology, thoracic surgery and, ideally, with interventional bronchoscopy. Interventional radiology is the first-line symptomatic treatment. In over 80% of cases, bronchial arteriography with embolization allows immediate control. Emergency surgery should be avoided, as it is associated with significant mortality. Appropriate and adequate care reduces hospital mortality to 30%, enabling patients to benefit from the most recent, survival-prolonging treatments.

Nebulized vs IV Tranexamic Acid for Hemoptysis: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

Tranexamic acid (TA) is used to control bleeding in patients with hemoptysis. However, the effectiveness of the different routes of TA administration has not been studied.

RESEARCH QUESTION

Does the nebulized route of TA administration reduce the amount of hemoptysis compared with the IV route in patients presenting to the ED with hemoptysis?

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

This was a pragmatic, open-label, randomized, parallel, single-center, pilot trial of nebulized TA (500 mg tid) vs IV TA (500 mg tid) in adult patients presenting to the ED with active hemoptysis. The primary outcome was cessation of bleeding at 30 min. Secondary outcomes included amount of hemoptysis at 6, 12, and 24 h; interventional procedures; and side effects of TA. Patients who were hemodynamically unstable or requiring immediate interventional procedure or mechanical ventilation were excluded from the study.

RESULTS

Of the 55 patients in each arm, hemoptysis cessation at 30 min following TA administration was significantly higher in the nebulization arm (n = 40) compared with the IV arm (n = 28): χ2 (1, n = 110) = 5.55; P = .0019. Also, hemoptysis amount was reduced significantly in the nebulization arm at all time periods of observation (P value at 30 min = .011, at 6 h = .002, 12 h = .0008, and at 24 h = .005). Fewer patients in the nebulization arm required bronchial artery embolization (13 vs 21; P = .024) and thereby had higher discharge rates from the ED (67.92% vs 39.02%; P = .005). Two patients in the nebulization arm had asymptomatic bronchoconstriction that resolved after short-acting beta-agonist nebulization. No patient discharged from the ED underwent any interventional procedure or revisited the ED with rebleed during the 72 h follow-up period.

INTERPRETATION

Nebulized TA may be more efficacious than IV TA in reducing the amount of hemoptysis and need for ED interventional procedures. Future larger studies are needed to further explore the potential of nebulized TA compared with IV TA in patients with mild hemoptysis.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

Clinical Trials Registry-India; No.: CTRI/2019/05/019337; URL: http://ctri.nic.in/Clinicaltrials/advancesearchmain.php.

Tranexamic Acid vs Adrenaline for Controlling Iatrogenic Bleeding During Flexible Bronchoscopy: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

The most commonly used topical hemostatic agents during flexible bronchoscopy (FB) are cold saline and adrenaline. Data on use of other agents such as tranexamic acid (TXA) for this purpose are limited.

RESEARCH QUESTION

Is TXA effective and safe in controlling iatrogenic bleeding during FB compared with adrenaline?

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

We conducted a cluster-randomized, double-blind, single-center trial in a tertiary teaching hospital. Patients were randomized in weekly clusters to receive up to three applications of TXA (100 mg, 2 mL) or adrenaline (0.2 mg, 2 mL, 1:10000) after hemostasis failure after three applications of cold saline (4 ° C, 5 mL). Crossover was allowed (for up to three further applications) before proceeding with other interventions. Bleeding severity was graded by the bronchoscopist using a visual analog scale (VAS; 1 = very mild, 10 = severe).

RESULTS

A total of 2,033 FBs were performed and 130 patients were randomized successfully to adrenaline (n = 65) or TXA (n = 65), whereas 12 patients had to be excluded for protocol violations (two patients from the adrenaline arm and 10 patients from TXA arm). Bleeding was stopped in 83.1% of patients (54/65) in both groups (P = 1). The severity of bleeding and number of applications needed for bleeding control were similar in both groups (adrenaline: mean VAS score, 4.9 ± 1.3 [n = 1.8 ± 0.8]; TXA: mean VAS score, 5.3 ± 1.4 [n = 1.8 ± 0.8]). Both adrenaline and TXA were more successful in controlling moderate bleeding (86.7% and 88.7%, respectively) than severe bleeding (40% and 58.3%, respectively; P = .008 and P = .012, respectively) and required more applications for severe bleeding (3.0 ± 0 and 2.4 ± 0.5, respectively) than moderate bleeding (1.7 ± 0.8 and 1.7 ± 0.8, respectively) control (P = .006 and P = .002, respectively). We observed no drug-related adverse events in either group.

INTERPRETATION

We found no significant difference between adrenaline and TXA for controlling noncatastrophic iatrogenic endobronchial bleeding after cold saline failure, adding to the body of evidence that TXA can be used safely and effectively during FB.

TRIAL REGISTRY

ClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT04771923; URL: www.

CLINICALTRIALS

gov.

Infectious Pulmonary Artery Pseudoaneurysm That Resolved with Conservative Treatment

Pulmonary artery pseudoaneurysms (PAPs) are rare but can cause massive hemoptysis if they rupture. Infectious PAPs are often treated by surgery or transcatheter embolization and are rarely treated conservatively with antibiotics. We herein report a case of PAP treated conservatively in a 21-year-old woman with lung abscess. Except for one massive hemoptysis early in the course, the patient responded well to the empirical therapy with ampicillin/sulbactam and systemic hemostatic agents. After six weeks of antibiotics, the pseudoaneurysm disappeared. Conservative therapy with careful observation can be considered in small infectious PAPs when there is a good clinical response to initial conservative therapy.

Management of life-threatening hemoptysis in the ICU

Life-threatening hemoptysis is commonly encountered in the ICU and its management can be challenging even for experienced clinicians. Depending on the etiology and severity, one can tailor the treatment modality and therapeutic intervention(s). The grading of severity of hemoptysis varies greatly in the literature; however, unlike hemorrhage in other scenarios, small amounts of blood can significantly impair oxygenation and ventilation leading to cardiovascular collapse. Importantly, the initial evaluation and management should focus on airway and hemodynamic stabilization along with maintenance of oxygenation and ventilation. In this review, we discuss commonly encountered etiologies, vascular anatomy, diagnostic evaluation, and therapeutic interventions. We examine the evolving trends in etiologies of life-threating hemoptysis over the years. The role of flexible and rigid bronchoscopy as both a diagnostic and therapeutic modality is explored, as well as the use and indications of several bronchoscopic techniques, such as topical hemostatic agents, endobronchial tamponade, and tranexamic acid (TXA). In addition, we assess the use of multi-row detector computed tomography as the initial rapid diagnostic method of choice and its use in planning for definitive treatment. The efficacy and long-term results of bronchial artery embolization (BAE) are evaluated, as well as indications for surgical intervention. Furthermore, the importance of a multidisciplinary approach is emphasized. The necessary interplay between intensivists, consultative services, and radiologists is described in detail and an algorithmic management strategy incorporating the above is outlined. Given the complexity in management of life-threatening hemoptysis, this paper aims to summarize the available diagnostic and therapeutic methods and provide a standardized approach for the management of patients with this often difficult to treat condition.

Does tranexamic acid reduce risk of mortality on patients with hemoptysis?: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Although tranexamic acid (TXA), a readily accessible antifibrinolytic agent, is widely adopted in hemorrhage scenarios, its role on mortality in patients with hemoptysis remains uncertain. New evidence is yet to be generated to evaluate the risk of mortality after using TXA in patients with hemoptysis.

METHODS

PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Scopus databases were searched from inception to May 2020. Randomized controlled trials and observational studies that evaluated the effect of TXA on patients with hemoptysis were included. Data were independently extracted by 2 reviewers and synthesized using a random-effects model.

MAIN RESULTS

Five studies with a total of 20,047 patients were analyzed. When compared with the control, administration of TXA was associated with a reduction in short-term mortality (risk ratio = 0.78, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.72-0.85; I2 = 0), shorter bleeding time (mean difference = - 24.61 hours, 95% CI - 35.96 to -13.26, I2 = 0), shorter length of hospital stay (mean difference = -1.94 days, 95% CI -2.48 to -1.40, I2 = 0), and lower need for intervention (risk ratio = 0.38, 95% CI 0.16-0.87, I2 = 0) in patients with hemoptysis. Compared with control, administration of TXA did not cause increased major or minor adverse effects.

CONCLUSIONS

TXA provided benefits in terms of a lower short-term mortality rate, less bleeding time, shorter length of hospital stays, and less need for intervention in patients with hemoptysis. Use of TXA was not associated with increased adverse effects.

Management of an unusual cause of life-threatening haemoptysis: a multidisciplinary approach

We present to you a case of life-threatening haemoptysis secondary to non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis complicated by bronchial artery pseudoaneurysms. We discuss this patient's emergency medical management using intravenous tranexamic acid, which resulted in successful resuscitation and eventual survival, and evaluate the need for urgent anaesthetic and interventional radiology input in such a case.

Spinal Cord Infarction after Bronchial Artery Embolization for Hemoptysis: A Nationwide Observational Study in Japan

Background The most serious complication of bronchial artery embolization (BAE) for hemoptysis is spinal cord infarction. However, because it is rare, previous reports from single institutions have been insufficient to determine the actual prevalence of spinal cord infarction after BAE. Purpose To investigate the actual prevalence of spinal cord infarction as a complication of BAE using a nationally representative inpatient database. Materials and Methods This retrospective study was performed using data from the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination database between July 2010 and March 2018. The authors identified patients who were diagnosed with hemoptysis and underwent BAE during hospitalization. The overall prevalence of spinal cord infarction after BAE was determined. The authors also compared the prevalence of spinal cord infarction using the Fisher exact test according to the embolic agent used for BAE: coils, gelatin sponge (GS) particles, and N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate (NBCA). Results During the study period, 8563 patients (mean age ± standard deviation, 68 years ± 13; 5103 men) met the inclusion criteria. Among these 8563 patients, 1577 (18%), 6561 (77%), and 425 (5%) underwent BAE with coils, GS particles, and NBCA, respectively. The overall prevalence of spinal cord infarction as a complication of BAE was 0.19% (16 of 8563 patients). The prevalence of spinal cord infarction after BAE with coils, GS particles, and NBCA was 0.06% (one of 1577 patients), 0.18% (12 of 6561 patients), and 0.71% (three of 425 patients), respectively (P = .04). Conclusion With use of a nationwide real-world inpatient database, the results of this study demonstrated that the actual prevalence of spinal cord infarction as a complication of bronchial artery embolization (BAE) for hemoptysis was 0.19%. Patients who underwent BAE with coils had a lower prevalence of spinal cord infarction than patients who underwent BAE with gelatin sponge particles or N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate. © RSNA, 2021.