OBJECTIVES Antifibrinolytics are widely used in cardiac surgery to save blood perioperatively. In the present study we evaluated the hemostatic effects of tranexamic acid (TXA) to decrease bleeding tendency and transfusion requirements in high-risk patients following transapical aortic valve implantation (TA-AVI). METHODS A retrospective analysis was performed on aortic stenosis patients unde...

BACKGROUND This study aimed to test the hypothesis that the addition of a real-time decision-assist machine learning algorithm by emergency medical system personnel could shorten the time needed to identify an unstable patient during a hemorrhage profile as compared with vital sign information alone. METHODS Fifty emergency medical team-paramedics from a large, urban fire department participa...

cr-jV-acetyl-L-lysine methyl ester (NALME) is a lysine analogue that reportedly binds to low-affinity lysine binding sites in plasmin(ogen) and miniplasmin(ogen). In the studies presented here, we show that NALME has antifibrinolytic activity; however, unlike the therapeutic agents e-amino-n-caproic acid (eACA) and tranexamic acid (TEA), the activity of NALME is based on inhibition of the plasm...

Despite the beneficial effects of pharmacological interventions to prevent bleeding and to reduce the need for autogeneic blood, there are concerns that these agents induce a prothrombotic state. The purpose of this study was to examine the coagulation phenomena influenced by the coadministration of epsilon-aminocaproic acid (EACA) and aprotinin during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). A swine mode...

BACKGROUND Blood conservation is a major concern in the management of surgical patients because of transfusion-related complications, limited supply, and health care costs. Tranexamic acid (TXA) and ϵ-aminocaproic acid (ϵACA) are lysine analogue antifibrinolytics used to reduce surgical bleeding and transfusions. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy and safety of TXA compared with ϵACA in the m...

In view of the safety concerns that led to the withdrawal of aprotinin, should antifibrinolytics be used indiscriminately in cardiac surgery? This meta-analysis examines the efficacy and safety profile of tranexamic acid, and in comparison to aprotinin. We identified randomised trials and large observational studies investigating the use tranexamic acid from January 1995 to January 2009 using P...

BACKGROUND Jehovah's Witness patients (Witnesses) who undergo cardiac surgery provide a unique natural experiment in severe blood conservation because anemia, transfusion, erythropoietin, and antifibrinolytics have attendant risks. Our objective was to compare morbidity and long-term survival of Witnesses undergoing cardiac surgery with a similarly matched group of patients who received transfu...

BACKGROUND Trauma is a global disease, with over 2.5 million deaths annually from hemorrhage and coagulopathy. Overt hyperfibrinolysis is rare in trauma, and is associated with massive fatal injuries. Paradoxically, clinical trials suggest a much broader indication for antifibrinolytics. OBJECTIVE To determine the incidence and magnitude of fibrinolytic activation in trauma patients and its r...

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor–mediated angioedema is the most common cause of and accounts for one-third emergency department visits angioedema. Nonpitting edema face, lips, tongue, supraglottic/glottic structures may be present, with 9.5 to 15% patients requiring airway management.1,2 When respiratory difficulties are mortality rate 11%.3 can unprovoked or triggered by trauma, includ...

Open heart surgeries under cardiopulmonary bypass are associated with excessive perioperative bleeding that often requires re-exploration. Antifibrinolytics like epsilon aminocaproic acid and tranexamic acid are widely used to control bleeding. There is paucity of literature on studies to reduce blood loss and blood transfusion following mitral valve replacement surgeries. The aim of this study...