Abstract

BACKGROUND The antifibrinolytic drug tranexamic acid (TXA) improves survival in adults with traumatic hemorrhage; however, the drug has not been evaluated in a trial in injured children. We evaluated the feasibility of a large-scale trial evaluating the effects of TXA in children with severe hemorrhagic injuries. METHODS Severely injured children (0 up to 18(th) birthday) were randomized into a double-blind randomized trial of 1) TXA 15 mg/kg bolus dose, followed by 2 mg/kg/hr infusion over 8 hours, 2) TXA 30 mg/kg bolus dose, followed by 4 mg/kg/hr infusion over 8 hours, or 3) normal saline placebo bolus and infusion. The trial was conducted at 4 pediatric Level I trauma centers in the United States between June 2018 and March 2020. We enrolled patients under federal exception from informed consent (EFIC) procedures when parents were unable to provide informed consent. Feasibility outcomes included the rate of enrollment, adherence to intervention arms, and ability to measure the primary clinical outcome. Clinical outcomes included global functioning (primary), working memory, total amount of blood products transfused, intracranial hemorrhage progression, and adverse events. The target enrollment rate was at least 1.25 patients per site per month. RESULTS A total of 31 patients were randomized with a mean age of 10.7 years (standard deviation [SD] 5.0 years) and 22 (71%) patients were male. The mean time from injury to randomization was 2.4 hours (SD 0.6 hours). Sixteen (52%) patients had isolated brain injuries and 15 (48%) patients had isolated torso injuries. The enrollment rate using EFIC was 1.34 patients per site per month. All eligible enrolled patients received study intervention (9 patients TXA 15 mg/kg bolus dose, 10 patients TXA 30 mg/kg bolus dose, and 12 patients placebo) and had the primary outcome measured. No statistically significant differences in any of the clinical outcomes were identified. CONCLUSION Based on enrollment rate, protocol adherence, and measurement of the primary outcome in this pilot trial, we confirmed the feasibility of conducting a large-scale, randomized trial evaluating the efficacy of TXA in severely injured children with hemorrhagic brain and/or torso injuries using EFIC.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES To present consensus statements and supporting literature for plasma and platelet transfusions in critically ill children with severe trauma, traumatic brain injury, and/or intracranial hemorrhage from the Transfusion and Anemia EXpertise Initiative-Control/Avoidance of Bleeding. DESIGN Systematic review and consensus conference of international, multidisciplinary experts in platelet and plasma transfusion management of critically ill children. SETTING Not applicable. PATIENTS Critically ill neonates and children with severe trauma, traumatic brain injury, and/or intracranial hemorrhage. INTERVENTIONS None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS A panel of eight experts developed expert-based statements for plasma and platelet transfusions in critically ill neonates and children with severe trauma, traumatic brain injury, and/or intracranial hemorrhage. These statements were reviewed and ratified by the 29 Transfusion and Anemia EXpertise Initiative-Control/Avoidance of Bleeding experts. A systematic review was conducted using MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases, from inception to December 2020. Consensus was obtained using the Research and Development/University of California, Los Angeles Appropriateness Method. Results were summarized using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation method. We developed one good practice statement and six expert consensus statements. CONCLUSIONS The lack of evidence precludes proposing recommendations on monitoring of the coagulation system and on plasma and platelets transfusion in critically ill pediatric patients with severe trauma, severe traumatic brain injury, or nontraumatic intracranial hemorrhage.

Abstract

BACKGROUND Federal exception from informed consent (EFIC) procedures allow studies to enroll patients with time-sensitive, life-threatening conditions when written consent is not feasible. Our objective was to compare enrollment rates with and without EFIC in a trial of tranexamic acid (TXA) for children with hemorrhagic injuries. METHODS We conducted a four-center randomized controlled pilot and feasibility trial evaluating TXA in children with severe hemorrhagic brain and/or torso injuries. We initiated the trial enrolling patients without EFIC. After 3 months of enrollment, we met our a priori futility threshold and paused the trial to incorporate EFIC procedures and obtain regulatory approval. We then restarted the trial allowing EFIC if the guardian was unable to provide timely written consent. We used descriptive statistics to compare characteristics of eligible patients approached with and without EFIC procedures. We also calculated the time delay to restart the trial using EFIC. RESULTS We enrolled 1 of 15 (6.7%) eligible patients (0.17 per site per month) prior to using EFIC procedures. Of the 14 missed eligible patients, 7 (50%) were not enrolled because guardians were not present or were injured and unable to provide written consent. After obtaining approval for EFIC, we enrolled 30 of 48 (62.5%) eligible patients (1.34 per site per month). Of these 30 patients, 22 (73.3%) were enrolled with EFIC. Of the 22, no guardians refused written consent after randomization. There were no significant differences in the eligibility rate and patient characteristics enrolled with and without EFIC procedures. Across all sites, the mean delay to restart the trial using EFIC procedures was 12 months. CONCLUSIONS In a multicenter trial of severely injured children, the use of EFIC procedures greatly increased the enrollment rate and was well accepted by guardians. Initiating the trial without EFIC procedures led to a significant delay in enrollment.

Abstract

Introduction: The CRASH-2 trial demonstrated that tranexamic acid (TXA) reduced mortality with no increase in adverse events in severely injured adults. TXA has since been widely used in injured adults worldwide. Our objective was to estimate mortality and adverse events in adults with trauma receiving TXA in studies published after the CRASH-2 trial. Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, MicroMedex, and ClinicalTrials.gov for studies that included injured adults who received TXA and reported mortality and/or adverse events. Two reviewers independently assessed study eligibility, abstracted data, and assessed the risk of bias. We conducted meta-analyses using random effects models to estimate the incidence of mortality at 28 or 30 days and in-hospital thrombotic events. Results: We included 19 studies and 13 studies in the systematic review and meta-analyses, respectively. The pooled incidence of mortality at 28 or 30 days (five studies, 1538 patients) was 10.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 7.8-12.4%) (vs 14.5% [95% CI, 13.9-15.2%] in the CRASH-2 trial), and the pooled incidence of in-hospital thrombotic events (nine studies, 1656 patients) was 5.9% (95% CI, 3.3-8.5%) (vs 2.0% [95% CI, 1.8-2.3%] in the CRASH-2 trial). Conclusion: Compared to the CRASH-2 trial, adult trauma patients receiving TXA identified in our systematic review had a lower incidence of mortality at 28 or 30 days, but a higher incidence of in-hospital thrombotic events. Our findings neither support nor refute the findings of the CRASH-2 trial but suggest that incidence rates in adults with trauma in settings outside of the CRASH-2 trial may be different than those observed in the CRASH-2 trial.

Abstract

STUDY OBJECTIVE Tranexamic acid improves survival in severely injured adults. However, its effectiveness on overall functional outcome is unknown. We hypothesized that tranexamic acid improves overall functional outcome compared with placebo in severely injured adults and conduct an exploratory analysis of the Clinical Randomization of an Antifibrinolytic in Significant Haemorrhage (CRASH-2) data to investigate this hypothesis. METHODS We included injured adults from the CRASH-2 trial who were randomized 3 hours or less from injury. The primary outcome measure was functional status at hospital discharge or on day 28 if the subject was still in the hospital. Functional status was measured with the modified Oxford Handicap Scale, a 6-category ordinal functional outcome scale. We conducted 3 separate analyses using 3 different outcome measures to evaluate the effectiveness of tranexamic acid versus placebo on functional outcomes, including the mean utility-weighted modified Oxford Handicap Scale score (overall functional outcome), the area under the curve (based on functional outcome and rate of recovery), and a sliding dichotomy analysis (favorable versus unfavorable functional outcome) stratified by baseline mortality risk (stratified analysis). RESULTS There were 13,432 patients (6,679 randomized to placebo and 6,753 to tranexamic acid) included in the study cohort. The mean utility-weighted modified Oxford Handicap Scale score was 0.66 (SD 0.33) for patients randomized to tranexamic acid compared with a mean of 0.64 (SD 0.34) for those randomized to placebo (mean difference 0.02; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.01 to 0.03). The area under the curve analysis demonstrated that patients randomized to tranexamic acid had a higher 28-day mean utility-weighted modified Oxford Handicap Scale score compared with those randomized to placebo (mean score 0.55 [SD 0.30] versus 0.53 [SD 0.31]; mean difference 0.02 [95% CI 0.01 to 0.03]). The sliding dichotomy analysis demonstrated heterogeneity of treatment effects across risk groups. The overall proportion of patients with favorable functional outcomes was higher in the tranexamic acid group (5,360/6,753 [79.4%]; 95% CI 78.4% to 80.3%) compared with the placebo group (5,174/6,679 [77.5%]; 95% CI 76.5% to 78.5%; difference 1.9% [95% CI 0.5% to 3.3%]; number needed to treat=52). When each risk group was tested separately, only the lowest-risk group (<6% baseline mortality risk) demonstrated a statistically significant effect of tranexamic acid toward favorable functional outcomes (tranexamic acid versus placebo adjusted odds ratio 0.78; 95% CI 0.67 to 0.90). There were no differences between tranexamic acid and placebo in the other risk groups. CONCLUSION Across 3 exploratory analyses, severely injured adult patients randomized within 3 hours from injury demonstrated better functional outcomes with tranexamic acid compared with placebo. When heterogeneity of treatment effects across risk groups was evaluated, only the lowest-risk group demonstrated a significant effect of tranexamic acid toward favorable outcomes. Given the overall safety and cost-effectiveness of tranexamic acid use in injured adults, our results further support the use of tranexamic acid for this population. Future trauma trials that evaluate tranexamic acid use should also consider functional status as an important outcome.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE The antifibrinolytic agent tranexamic acid (TXA) has demonstrated clinical benefit in trauma patients with severe bleeding, but its effectiveness in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) is unclear. We conducted a systematic review to evaluate the following research question: In ED patients with or at risk of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) secondary to TBI, does TXA compared to placebo improve patients' outcomes? METHODS MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and other databases were searched for randomized controlled trial (RCT) or quasi-RCT studies that compared the effect of TXA to placebo on outcomes of TBI patients. The main outcomes of interest included mortality, neurologic function, hematoma expansion, and adverse effects. We used "Grading quality of evidence and strength of recommendations" to assess the quality of trials. Two authors independently abstracted data using a data collection form. Results from studies were pooled when appropriate. RESULTS Of 1030 references identified through the search, 2 high-quality RCTs met inclusion criteria. The effect of TXA on mortality had a pooled relative risk of 0.64 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.41-1.02); on unfavorable functional status, a relative risk of 0.77 (95% CI, 0.59-1.02); and on ICH progression, a relative risk of 0.76 (95% CI, 0.58-0.98). No serious adverse effects (such as thromboembolic events) associated with TXA group were reported in the included trials. CONCLUSION Pooled results from the 2 RCTs demonstrated statistically significant reduction in ICH progression with TXA and a nonstatistically significant improvement of clinical outcomes in ED patients with TBI. Further evidence is required to support its routine use in patients with TBI. Copyright 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Abstract

BACKGROUND Preinjury use of antiplatelet agents (e.g., clopidogrel and aspirin) is a risk factor for increased morbidity and mortality for patients with traumatic intracranial hemorrhage (tICH). Some investigators have recommended platelet transfusion to reverse the antiplatelet effects in tICH. This evidence-based medicine review examines the evidence regarding the impact of platelet transfusion on emergency department (ED) patients with preinjury antiplatelet use and tICH on patient-oriented outcomes. METHODS The MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and other databases were searched. Studies were selected for inclusion if they compared platelet transfusion with no-platelet transfusion in the treatment of adult ED patients with preinjury antiplatelet use and tICH and reported rates of mortality, neurocognitive function, or adverse effects. We assessed the quality of the included studies using standard criteria. RESULTS Five retrospective, registry-based studies were identified, which enrolled 635 patients cumulatively. Based on standard criteria, three studies were of low-quality evidence, and two studies were of very low-quality evidence. One study reported higher in-hospital mortality for patients with platelet transfusion (relative risk, 2.42; 95% confidence interval, 1.2-4.9); another showed a lower mortality rate for patients receiving platelet transfusion (relative risk, 0.21; 95% confidence interval, 0.05-0.95). Three studies did not show any statistical difference in comparing mortality rates between the groups. No studies reported intermediate or long-term neurocognitive outcomes or adverse events. CONCLUSION Five retrospective registry studies with suboptimal methodologies provide inadequate evidence to support the routine use of platelet transfusion in adult ED patients with preinjury antiplatelet use and tICH. (J Trauma Acute Care Surg. 2012;72: 1658-1663. Copyright Copyright 2012 by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins). LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Systematic review, level III.

Abstract

Objectives: Coagulopathy is common after severe trauma and occurs very early after the initial insult. Some investigators have suggested early andaggressive treatment of the trauma-induced coagulopathy by transfusion of fresh-frozen plasma (FFP) and packed red blood cells (PRBC) in a 1:1 ratio. This evidence- based emergency medicine (EBM) review evaluates the evidence regarding the impact of 1:1 ratio of FFP:PRBC transfusion on survival of emergency department (ED) patients with severe trauma. Methods: The MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and other databases were searched. Studies were selected for inclusion if they included trauma patients who required blood transfusion. The outcome measures of interest included mortality and adverse effects of high FFP:PRBC ratios. For comparison, the patients were classified into high ratio (1:1, defined as a ratio of 1:[less-than or equal to]1.5) and low ratio (1:>1.5) groups. Results: The authors did not identify any randomized controlled trials (RCT), but included four observational studies (three retrospective registry and one prospective cohort studies), which enrolled 1,511 patients cumulatively. One study found a statistically significant difference in mortality rate, favoring high FFP:PRBC ratio (relative risk = 0.72, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.59 to 0.89), while three studies showed no benefits. One study reported higher rates of sepsis and single / multiorgan failure (MOF), and another study revealed a higher risk of nosocomial infections and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in the high FFP:PRBC ratio group. Conclusion: Three retrospective registry reviews with suboptimal methodologies and one prospective cohort study provide inadequate evidence to support or refute the use of a high FFP:PRBC ratio in patients with severe trauma.

Abstract

STUDY OBJECTIVE The use of recombinant activated factor VII (rFVIIa) in severe trauma is controversial. This evidence-based emergency medicine review evaluates the existing evidence about the efficacy and safety of rFVIIa for the management of severe trauma. METHODS We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and other databases. We limited our review to prospective, controlled trials that involved the therapeutic use of rFVIIa in the emergency department phase of care. We included studies with blunt and penetrating severe trauma. The primary outcome measure of interest was mortality. Secondary patient-important outcome measures included neurologic outcome, delayed surgical intervention, and adverse effects. Standard criteria were used to evaluate the quality of published trials. RESULTS One randomized, blinded trial met the inclusion criteria. There was no significant difference in mortality or adverse effects between rFVIIa and placebo. Our other selected secondary outcome measures of interest were not reported. CONCLUSION Existing evidence suggests that there is no significant difference in mortality between rFVIIa and placebo. Further research is needed to better understand the efficacy and safety of rFVIIa in patients with severe trauma.