The pre-hospital administration of tranexamic acid, a medication that promotes blood clotting, to patients with traumatic brain injuries did no better than placebo in lowering the risk of death. This was the finding of an NHLBI-funded study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Traumatic brain injury, a sudden injury that causes damage to the brain due to a blow, bump, or jolt to the head, is a major cause of death and disability in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2014, an average of 155 people in the United States died each day from injuries that include a TBI. Those who survive a TBI can face effects that last a few days, or the rest of their lives.
The researchers from the Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium (ROC) found that initiating the treatment with tranexamic acid in an out of hospital setting within two hours of an injury was safe, but did not improve neurological outcomes, nor reduce mortality risk.
However, the researchers also conducted some planned subgroup analysis and found that patients with intracranial hemorrhage who had received 2 grams of tranexamic acid before arriving at the hospital had a significantly lower risk of death after 28 days, when compared to those who received just 1 gram or the placebo.