Tranexamic Acid Blog

Drug That Stops Bleeding Could Save Lives

Posted 15 Jun 2010 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, June 14 – A drug commonly used to prevent excess bleeding in surgeries could keep thousands of people from bleeding to death after trauma, a new study suggests. The drug, tranexamic acid (TXA) is cheap, widely available around the world and easily administered, experts said. It works by significantly reducing the rate at which blood clots break down, the researchers explained. "When people have serious injuries, whether from accidents or violence, and when they have severe hemorrhage they can bleed to death. This treatment reduces the chances of bleeding to death by about a sixth, " said researcher Dr. Ian Roberts, a professor of epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in the U.K. According to Roberts, each year about 600,000 people bleed to death worldwide. "So, if you could reduce that by a sixth, you've saved 100,000 lives in one year," he said. ... Read more

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