A study in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery found that tranexamic acid may safely reduce blood loss in patients undergoing orthopedic procedures.
The researchers identified 23,236 patients who received primary total knee arthroplasty and 11,489 patients who received primary total hip arthroplasty. They evaluated the association between TXA use and hemoglobin drop, transfusion, length of stay, venous thromboembolism, readmission and cardiovascular complications.
Here's what you need to know:
1. For total hip and total knee arthroplasty, TXA use was associated with a drop in hemoglobin.
2. For total hip arthroplasty, TXA use was associated with decreased odds of blood transfusion; for total knee arthroplasty, TXA use was associated with one-fourth the odds of blood transfusion compared to no TXA use.
3. For total hip arthroplasty, there was no association with length of stay; for total knee arthroplasty, TXA use was associated with slightly decreased length of stay.
4. For total hip arthroplasty, there was no association with venous thromboembolism; for total knee arthroplasty, TXA use was associated with a decreased risk of venous thromboembolism.
5. For total hip arthroplasty, TXA use was associated with decreased readmissions; for total knee arthroplasty, there was no association with readmissions.
6. There was no association between TXA use and cardiovascular complications in either group.