CHICAGO – Tranexamic acid was not independently associated with any infection within 30 days of injury in U.S. soldiers undergoing trauma surgery, a case-control study showed.
The antifibrinolytic has been used for years to reduce morbidity and the risk of death associated with hemorrhage in the military setting. Tranexamic acid (TXA) made its way into the civilian setting after the 2010 provocative CRASH-2 trial in adult trauma patients.
Because TXA (Cyklokapron, Lysteda) also has anti-inflammatory properties, Dr. Clayton Lewis of Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio and his colleagues decided to evaluate the effect of TXA on the development of posttraumatic infections, including time to first infection, in combat casualties.
The findings were presented at the annual clinical congress of the American College of Surgeons, where we caught up with Dr. Lewis for an interview.
Dr. Lewis reported having no relevant financial disclosures.