The purpose of this study is to determine if 1 gram of prehospital tranexamic acid given during emergency medical transport to a level 1 trauma center in patients at risk of hemorrhage is associated with lower 30 day mortality.
Background: Traumatically injured patients continue to be plagued with uncontrolled hemorrhage resulting in significant morbidity and early mortality. A primary driving force for this unbridled hemorrhage is known to be the early coagulopathy which complicates severe injury. Trauma induced coagulopathy has been postulated to be an equilibrium imbalance between pro and anticoagulant factors, platelets, endothelium and fibrinolysis soon after injury. Recent evidence demonstrates that the early use of the antifibrinolytic agent tranexamic acid (TXA) after trauma center arrival results in improved survival in patients at risk for bleeding. Bringing this proven treatment to the prehospital arena and intervening earlier in those patients who would otherwise not be candidates for treatment has the real potential to further reduce or prevent the vicious hemorrhagic cascade, improve clinical outcomes and provide insight into the underlying mechanisms responsible for and which maximize its benefit. Objective/Hypothesis: The primary hypothesis will be that prehospital infusion of tranexamic acid in patients at risk for bleeding will reduce the incidence of 30 day mortality. The secondary hypotheses include that prehospital tranexamic acid will reduce the incidence of hyperfibrinolysis, acute lung injury, multiple organ failure, nosocomial infection, mortality, early seizures, pulmonary embolism and early resuscitation needs, reduce or prevent the early coagulopathy as demonstrated by improving presenting INR and rapid thromboelastography parameters, reduce the early inflammatory response, plasmin levels, leukocyte, platelet and complement activation, and determine the optimal dosing of tranexamic acid post-injury.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Enrollment
903
1 gram of prehospital Tranexamic Acid
Saline Control
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
30 Day Mortality
Because not all patients had available data regarding 30-day mortality (patients were discharged and there 30-day outcome was unable to be determined) there may be differences between the 30Day mortality relative to the other outcomes. There were 5 and 4 patients from each arm that did not have 30-day outcome and thus are different.
Time frame: 30 Day
24 Hour Mortality
Time frame: 24 Hours
Acute Lung Injury
Time frame: 7 days
Multiple Organ Failure
Time frame: 30 days
Nosocomial Infection
Time frame: 30 days
24 Hour Total Blood Transfusion
Time frame: 24 hours
Hyperfinbrinolysis
Time frame: 24 hours
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