Efficacy of topical hemostatic agents in neurosurgery: An experimental study in a rat model

Few studies have compared different topical hemostatic agents in live models or brain tissue, and their doses are not standardized. Little is known about the combined use of these different elements in terms of efficacy and safety, especially in neurosurgery. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of different topic hemostatic agents used in daily neurosurgical practice in an experimental animal model study.

A group of 42 Wistar rats was used. A stereotaxic frame was fixed, and coordinates were determined to locate the bregma. A 3 mm hole was drilled with a bone-profile burr on each side of the midline. A stylet was inserted into the brain to create the defect and induce bleeding. The rats were randomly divided into seven groups, with each group assigned a hemostatic agent. Hemostasis time and control time on the opposite side were measured.

Hemostasis was achieved after an average of 1 82 s in the group treated with Beriplast, making it the hemostatic agent that stopped the bleeding the fastest. The control time was an average of 40, 14 s. Compared with the negative control, all the agents resulted in significantly better hemostasis (P < 0.05).

A reduction in postoperative bleeding positively impacts annual morbidity and mortality rates, hospitalization time, and hospital bed turnover. Understanding the efficacy and safety of different hemostatic agents will enable surgeons to optimize intraoperative hemostasis, thereby achieving better postoperative outcomes and increased patient safety.