Postoperative administration of tranexamic acid as approach to reduce blood loss after open-heart surgery

Tranexamic acid (TXA) reduces perioperative bleeding among patients undergoing heart surgery. It is uncertain whether its postoperative administration, after prior administration before cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), has an additional benefit.

Our study aimed to evaluate whether the postoperative administration of TXA reduces the blood loss after heart surgery.

In a retrospective cohort study at the University Heart Center Dresden, patients who underwent on-pump open-heart surgery and received 1 g TXA before CPB were included. Patients with postoperative administration of 1 g TXA were compared to patients without. Primary endpoint was the postoperative blood loss within 24 hours.

Among 2,179 patients undergoing heart surgery between 1 July 2013 and 31 October 2014, 92 (4.2%) received TXA postoperatively. After matching, 71 patients with postoperative administration of TXA were compared to 71 without (n = 142). Postoperative administration of TXA did not result in decreased blood loss (MD 146.7 mL; p = 0.064). There was no evidence of an increased risk for thromboembolic complications.

The postoperative administration of TXA did not reduce blood loss. The use of TXA was shown to be safe in terms of thromboembolic events and hospital mortality. Unless there is no clear evidence, the postoperative administration of TXA should be restricted to patients with massive blood loss and signs of hyperfibrinolysis only.