Annals of Cardiac Anaesthesia (Jan 2021)

Comparison of efficacy of two different doses of tranexamic acid in prevention of post operative blood loss in patients with congenital cyanotic heart disease undergoing cardiac surgery

  • Thushara Madathil,
  • Rakhi Balachandran,
  • Brijesh P Kottayil,
  • K R Sundaram,
  • Suresh G Nair

DOI
https://doi.org/10.4103/aca.ACA_162_20
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 24, no. 3
pp. 339 – 344

Abstract

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Background: The optimal dose of tranexamic acid in minimizing perioperative bleeding is uncertain. We compared efficacy of two different doses of tranexamic acid in reducing post-operative blood loss and its side effects in patients with congenital cyanotic heart disease undergoing cardiac surgery. Settings and Design: Prospective observational study at a pediatric cardiac center in South India. Methods: Consecutive cyanotic patients undergoing cardiac surgery were divided into groups I and II to receive either 10 mg/kg or 25 mg/kg of tranexamic acid administered as triple dose regime after induction, during cardiopulmonary bypass, and after protamine. Post-operative blood loss at 24 hours, blood component utilization, incidence of renal dysfunction and seizures were compared. Results: Totally, 124 patients were recruited, 62 in each group. The pre-operative variables and cardiopulmonary bypass time were comparable. Patients receiving 25 mg/kg had lower post-operative blood loss compared to patients in lower dose group (8.04 ± 8.89 vs 12.41 ± 19.23 ml/kg/24 hours, P = 0.03). There was no difference in the transfused volume of packed red cells (9.21 ± 7.13 ml/kg vs 12.41 ± 9.23 ml/kg, P = 0.712), fresh frozen plasma (13.91 ± 13.38 ml/kg vs 11.02 ± 8.04 ml/kg, P = 0.19), platelets (9.03 ± 6.76 ml/kg vs 10.90 ± 6.9 ml/kg, P = 0.14) or cryoprecipitate (0.66 ± 0.59 ml/kg vs 0.53 ± 0.54 ml/kg, P = 0.5) in group II and I, respectively. Two patients developed renal dysfunction secondary to low cardiac output in lower dose group. There were no seizures. Conclusions: Tranexamic acid administered at a dose of 25 mg/kg as triple dose regime is associated with lower post-operative blood loss compared to a lower dose of 10 mg/kg in cyanotic patients undergoing cardiac surgery without causing major adverse effects.

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