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TXA may help control blood loss, reduce transfusion need in spine correction surgery
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High doses of tranexamic acid were found to help control blood loss and reduce the need for transfusion in patients undergoing corrective spine surgery, especially those undergoing posterior vertebral column resection, according to researchers.
In a retrospective study, the researchers reviewed data for 59 patients between the ages of 7 years and 46 years with spinal deformities who underwent spinal corrective surgeries. Patients were categorized into one of two groups, with 26 patients who received tranexamic acid (TXA) in a treatment group and 33 patients who did not in a control group. Of those who received TXA, eight underwent posterior vertebral column resection (PVCR).
Prior to incision, patients in the TXA cohort received a loading dose of 100 mg/Kg intravenously during a 20-minute period followed by a maintenance infusion of 10 mg/Kg/h until the completion of skin closure. In the control group, patients received a saline infusion of similar volume.
The researchers determined patients’ blood loss from the suction, weighing of the sponge on an hourly basis and the cell saver. In the TXA group, an average of 2,441 mL was lost, compared with an average of 4,789 mL in the control group, which was considered a statistically significant difference, according to the researchers.
The patients who underwent PVCR experienced a 57.4% reduction in blood loss, compared with a 39.8% reduction in patients who did not undergo PVCR. Overall, the researchers found patients who received TXA had significantly lower blood loss, real blood loss and need for blood transfusion. – by Robert Linnehan
Disclosures: Xie reports no relevant financial disclosures. Please see the full study for a list of all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.
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