Tranexamic Acid Was Not Associated with Increased Complications in High-Risk Patients with Intertrochanteric Fracture

Tranexamic Acid Use in the Surgical Arena: A Narrative Review

INTRODUCTION

Tranexamic acid (TXA) is a potent antifibrinolytic drug that inhibits the activation of plasmin by plasminogen. While not a new medication, TXA has quickly gained traction across a variety of surgical subspecialties to prevent and treat bleeding. Knowledge on the use of this drug is essential for the modern surgeon to continue to provide excellent care to their patients.

METHODS

A comprehensive review of the PubMed database was conducted of articles published within the last 10 y (2014-2024) relating to TXA and its use in various surgical subspecialties. Seminal studies regarding the use of TXA older than 10 y were included from the author's archives.

RESULTS

Indications for TXA are not limited to trauma alone, and TXA is utilized across a variety of surgical subspecialties from neurosurgery to hepatic surgery to control hemorrhage. Overall, TXA is well tolerated with common dose-dependent adverse effects, including headache, nasal symptoms, dizziness, nausea, diarrhea, and fatigue. More severe adverse events are rare and easily mitigated by not exceeding a dose of 50 mg/kg.

CONCLUSIONS

The administration of TXA as an adjunct to treat trauma saves lives. The ability of TXA to induce seizures is dose dependent with identifiable risk factors, making this serious adverse effect predictable. As for the potential for TXA to cause thrombotic events, uncertainty remains. If this association is proven to be real, the risk will likely be small, since the use of TXA is still advantageous in most situations because of its efficacy for a more common concern, bleeding.

Effect of tranexamic acid on postoperative blood loss

The aim of this article was to evaluate the efficacy of tranexamic acid (TXA) to reduce blood loss after maxillofacial fracture surgery. Clinical data were collected retrospectively on patients with unilateral fractures of the zygomaticomaxillary complex (ZMC) or mandibular condyle. Patients were then further divided into TXA and control groups according to whether or not TXA was used after surgery. The amount of postoperative blood loss was evaluated by negative pressure drainage volume. Data were statistically analysed. In patients with unilateral ZMC fractures, total postoperative blood loss in the TXA group was about 30 ml less than that in the control group (p = 0.006). It was significantly less on the first and second postoperative days. However, in patients with unilateral mandibular condylar fractures, there was no significant difference between the TXA and control groups (p = 0.917). TXA can reduce postoperative bleeding in patients with ZMC fractures, and the optimal usage time is on the first and second postoperative days. For patients with mandibular condylar fractures, TXA may not be used.

Updated Clinical Review: Perioperative Use of Tranexamic Acid in Orthopedics and Other Surgeries

Tranexamic acid is a well-known antifibrinolytic that has numerous clinical indications, and it is efficacious and safe in many perioperative scenarios including patients with some thrombotic risks. However, further studies that characterize clinical outcomes concerning dosing, timing, and routes in combination are needed in ultra high-risk populations.

Intravenous application of tranexamic acid in intramedullary nailing for the treatment of geriatric intertrochanteric fractures: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Meta-analyses on the use of tranexamic acid (TXA) in intertrochanteric fractures have shown inconsistent results due to variations in inclusion criteria and clinical heterogeneity. To address these limitations, we conducted a rigorous analysis of recent randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with strict inclusion criteria. The aim of this study was to objectively evaluate the effects and safety of intravenous TXA administration in the treatment of geriatric intertrochanteric femoral fractures with intramedullary nailing.

METHODS

PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were searched for RCTs published from the database inception to August 2022. The date of total blood loss (TBL), intra-operative blood loss (IBL), hidden blood loss (HBL), transfusion rate, transfusion units, thromboembolic events, and mortality were extracted. Review Manager 5.3 was used for the analysis.

RESULTS

A total of six RCTs involving 689 patients were included. Meta-analyses indicated that TXA can significantly reduce TBL (WMD = -232.82; 95% CI -312.81 to -152.84; p < 0.00001), IBL (WMD = -36.33; 95% CI -51.38 to -21.28; p < 0.00001), HBL (WMD = -189.23; 95% CI -274.92 to -103.54; p < 0.0001), transfusion rate (RR = 0.53; 95% CI 0.33 to 0.85; p = 0.008), and transfusion units (WMD = -0.58; 95% CI -0.75 to -0.41; p < 0.01). No increase in thromboembolic events rate (RR = 0.75; 95% CI 0.38 to 1.50; p = 0.42) and mortality (RR = 1.36; 95% CI 0.61 to 3.04; p = 0.45) was observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Our meta-analysis provides robust evidence supporting the efficacy and safety of intravenous TXA administration in treating geriatric intertrochanteric femoral fractures with intramedullary nailing. TXA significantly reduces blood loss and transfusion requirements without increasing the risk of thromboembolic events or mortality.

Efficacy and safety of tranexamic acid for patients with intertrochanteric fractures treated with intramedullary fixation: A systematic review and meta-analysis of current evidence in randomized controlled trials

Background: Tranexamic acid (TXA) has been widely applied to reduce perioperative bleeding. Recently, several studies focused on the administration of TXA in the treatment for with intertrochanteric fracture patients treated with intramedullary fixation. However, the efficacy and safety of TXA in these studies remain controversial. Therefore, we performed this systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the efficacy and safety of TXA in intertrochanteric fracture patients treated with intramedullary fixation.

Methods: We systematically searched electronic databases, including Cochrane, PubMed, and EMBASE, up to 16 May 2022. The efficacy and safety of TXA was evaluated in four aspects, which were bleeding-related outcomes, non-bleeding-related outcomes, thromboembolic events, and other complications. The outcomes of these studies were extracted and analyzed by RevMan Manager 5.4.

Results: Finally, nine randomized controlled trials, involving nine hundred and seventy-two intertrochanteric fracture patients treated with TXA, were enrolled in this study. In the bleeding-related outcomes, TXA group was significantly lower than the control group in terms of total blood loss (MD = −219.42; 95% CI, −299.80 to −139.03; p &lt; 0.001), intraoperative blood loss (MD = −36.81; 95% CI, −54.21 to −19.41; p &lt; 0.001), hidden blood loss (MD = −189.23; 95% CI, −274.92 to −103.54; p &lt; 0.001), and transfusion rate (RR = 0.64; 95% CI, 0.49 to 0.85; p = 0.002). Moreover, the postoperative hemoglobin on day 3 of the TXA group was significantly higher than that of the control group (MD = 5.75; 95% CI, 1.26 to 10.23; p = 0.01). In the non-bleeding-related outcomes, the length of hospital stays was significantly shorter in the TXA group (MD = −0.67; 95% CI, −1.12 to −0.23; p = 0.003). In terms of thromboembolic events, there was no significant differences between the TXA group and control group in deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, myocardial infarction, and ischemic stroke. As for complications and mortality, there was no significant differences between the TXA group and control group in respiratory infection, renal failure, and postoperative mortality within 1 year.

Conclusion: TXA is an effective and safe drug for perioperative bleeding control in intertrochanteric fracture patients treated with intramedullary fixation. However, the long-term efficacy of TXA still needs to be investigated by large-scale multicenter randomized controlled trials.

Level of evidence: II, Systematic review and Meta-analysis.

Systematic Review Registration:https://inplasy.com/, identifier [INPLASY202280027]