1.
Intravenous tranexamic acid reduce postoperative drainage and pain after open elbow arthrolysis: A randomized controlled trial
Cui H, Yu S, Ruan J, Sun Z, Li J, Chen S, Fan C
Journal of shoulder and elbow surgery. 2021
Abstract
BACKGROUND Open elbow arthrolysis (OEA), which has become an established treatment for post-traumatic elbow stiffness (PTES), requires complete release of contracture tissue and wide excision of ectopic bone, which results in extensive bleeding. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the efficacy of intravenous tranexamic acid (TXA) on postoperative drainage, calculated blood loss and early clinical outcomes in patients undergoing OEA. METHODS A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial including 96 patients undergoing OEA was undertaken. Patients received intravenously either 100 mL saline (placebo group, n = 48), or 100 mL saline plus 1 g TXA (TXA group, n = 48) before skin incision. The primary outcome was the drainage volume on postoperative day (POD) 1 to 3. Secondary outcomes included the calculated blood loss, elbow pain score measured by Visual Analog Scale (VAS), elbow function valued by Mayo Elbow Performance Score (MEPS), and rate of complications after OEA. RESULTS Mean total postoperative drainage volume (TXA group: 182 mL vs. placebo group: 214 mL, p = 0.003) and mean calculated total blood loss (TXA group: 582 mL vs. placebo group: 657 mL, p = 0.004) were significantly lower in the TXA group. No transfusions were necessary in either group. Mean VAS pain scores in elbow motion showed marked differences between both groups on POD 1 (TXA: 5 vs. placebo: 6, p = 0.003) and POD 2 (TXA: 4 vs. placebo: 5, p = 0.023), but not in other postoperative time points. No differences were detected in complications, such as pin-related infection, hematoma, new or exacerbation of ulnar nerve symptoms, and recurrent heterotopic ossification. At the 6-month follow-up, no statistical differences were found between the two groups with respect to the elbow functions including range of motion, VAS score and MEPS. CONCLUSION Intravenous administration of TXA significantly decreased the postoperative drainage volume and the total estimated blood loss, and alleviated the elbow pain with motion during early postoperative days in patients undergoing OEA. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level I; Randomized Controlled Trial; Treatment Study.
2.
Efficacy and safety of topical tranexamic acid in knee arthroplasty
Lopez-Hualda A, Dauder-Gallego C, Ferreno-Marquez D, Martinez-Martin J
Medicina Clinica. 2018;151((11):):431-434
Abstract
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE Tranexamic acid (TXA) is commonly used to control postoperative blood loss in total knee arthroplasty. In order to avoid adverse effects associated with intravenous administration, topical use has been proposed as an alternative. Our aim was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of topical TXA in total knee arthroplasty. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 90 patients scheduled for unilateral total knee arthroplasty were included in a prospective randomised study. All surgeries were performed under spinal anaesthesia, tourniquet and the same postoperative protocol. Patients were allocated to one of the 3 groups according to the application of TXA: group A (n=30) 1g of topical TXA; group B (n=30) 1g of TXA intravenous and in group C or the control group (n=30) no drug was administrated. Parameters related to blood loss and drain outputs were compared between the 3 groups. RESULTS The results revealed that post-operative decrease in haemoglobin level was significantly lower in group A (1.95g/dL) than group B (2.25g/dL) and group C (2.96g/dL), P<.01. Total postoperative blood loss was lower in group A (195mL) than group B (466mL) and group C (718mL), P<.01. There was no significant difference in complications and allogenic blood transfusion rate between the 3 groups. CONCLUSIONS According to the results, topical application of 1g TXA significantly reduced blood loss in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty more than intravenous or no administration of TXA.
3.
The efficacy and safety of multiple-dose oral tranexamic acid on blood loss following total hip arthroplasty: a randomized controlled trial
Cao G, Huang Q, Huang Z, Zhang S, Luo Z, Lei Y, Zhou Z, Pei F
International Orthopaedics. 2018
Abstract
PURPOSES To explore the efficacy and safety of multiple-dose oral tranexamic acid (TXA) on blood loss following primary total hip arthroplasty (THA). METHODS A total of 152 patients were randomized into three groups to receive 2 g of oral TXA two hours pre-operatively (group A), or another bolus of 2 g of oral TXA four hours post-operatively (group B), or another three boluses of 2 g of oral TXA four, ten, and 16 hours post-operatively (group C). The primary outcomes were total blood loss (TBL), hidden blood loss (HBL), and transfusion rate. The secondary outcomes were haemoglobin (Hb) and haematocrit (Hct) drop, the level of fibrinolysis parameters (fibrin degradation products, D-dimer), and complications (thrombotic diseases, stroke, cardiac infarction, and infection). RESULTS The mean TBL and HBL in group C were lower than those in group A (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001) and group B (p = 0.012 and p = 0.029). The Hb drop on post-operative day one (POD1) and POD3 in group C was lower than those in group A (p < 0.001 and p = 0.029) and group B (p < 0.001 and p = 0.004). The difference was similar regarding Hct drop on POD3 (p < 0.001 and p = 0.014). Moreover, fibrin degradation products and D-dimer in group C were lower than in groups A and B on POD1 and POD3 (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001). The incidence of complications such as venous thromboembolism did not differ significantly among the three groups (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Multiple boluses of oral TXA could further reduce blood loss, Hb and Hct drop, and restrain post-operative fibrinolysis in primary THA without increasing the risk of complications. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE I Therapeutic study.
4.
Tranexamic acid reduces blood loss after primary shoulder arthroplasty: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, prospective, randomized controlled trial
Cvetanovich GL, Fillingham YA, O'Brien M, Forsythe B, Cole BJ, Verma NN, Romeo AA, Nicholson GP
JSES open access. 2018;2(1):23-27
Abstract
Background: Tranexamic acid (TXA) is an antifibrinolytic that has been shown to decrease blood loss and transfusion rates after hip and knee arthroplasty, with only limited evidence to support its use in shoulder arthroplasty. This study was conducted to determine whether intravenous (IV) TXA is more effective than placebo in reducing blood loss after primary total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA). Methods: In this prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial, patients undergoing primary anatomic and reverse TSA were randomized to receive 1 g of intravenous TXA or a placebo of an equivalent volume of intravenous normal saline administered 10 minutes before the incision. The primary outcome measurement was calculated postoperative blood loss. Secondary outcomes included transfusion rates, weight of hemoglobin loss, hospital length of stay, and thromboembolic events. Results: The study enrolled 110 patients, 2 of whom were excluded because they did not have a postoperative hemoglobin measurement, and the remaining 108 patients (52 for TXA, 56 for placebo) were analyzed. There were no significant differences between TXA and placebo groups in preoperative characteristics. For the primary outcome, the TXA group had significantly lower postoperative blood loss of 1100.9 +/- 367.4 mL compared with 1274.5 +/- 460.0 mL for the placebo group (P = .03). For secondary outcomes, TXA had lower weight of hemoglobin loss compared with placebo (152.2 +/- 57.3 g vs. 178.0 +/- 65.8 g; P = .03). No patients in the TXA or placebo groups required a transfusion. Conclusions: Intravenous TXA reduced blood loss after primary TSA compared with placebo.
