Research has revealed that many trauma patients have been receiving tranexamic acid without displaying any data-driven indication for the medication, according to an Aug. 17 report from Anesthesiology News.
A study was conducted at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, based in Winston-Salem, N.C., after physicians began noticing emergency medical services personnel were giving TXA to patients who were not experiencing levels of bleeding or low blood pressure that would require the medication.
The study observed the patterns of TXA use at over 20 separately managed EMS systems from 2016 to 2021 while patients were transported to a level 1 trauma center. Researchers analyzed patients' physiologic state upon arrival and in the prehospital setting and the interventions performed in both environments.
The study revealed less than 15 percent of TXA-receiving patients met the standard indication for needing the medication. Researchers have initiated the process of adjusting TXA administration criteria for trauma patients in prehospital settings, urging professionals to revisit the existing guidelines in the meantime.