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The efficacy and safety of multiple-dose intravenous tranexamic acid on blood loss following total knee arthroplasty: a randomized controlled trial

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Abstract

Purpose

To assess the efficacy and safety of multiple-dose intravenous tranexamic acid (IV-TXA) on blood loss following total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

Methods

One hundred fifty nine patients received one bolus of IV-TXA before skin incision and two boluses three and six hours later (group A), or another bolus nine hours later (group B), or another two boluses nine and 12 hours later (group C). The primary outcomes were total blood loss (TBL), hidden blood loss (HBL), and maximum haemoglobin (Hb) drop. Other outcome measurements such as fibrinolysis parameters [fibrin(−ogen) degradation products (FDP), D-dimer], inflammatory factors [interleukin-6 (IL-6)], transfusion rate, range of motion (ROM), length of hospital stay (LOH), and complications were also recorded and compared.

Results

The mean TBL, HBL and maximum Hb drop in group C (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p = 0.025) and group B (p = 0.025, p = 0.025, p = 0.044) were lower than those in group A. FDP and D-Dimer in group C was lower than in group A and B on post-operative day one. IL-6 in group A, B and C showed a downward tendency on post-operative days one and three (POD1 and POD3). Moreover, the ROM and LOH were better in group C. No episodes of transfusion or deep venous thrombosis (DVT) were detected in all groups.

Conclusions

The 5-dose TXA regimen can further reduce the blood loss, diminish the maximum Hb drop, minimize inflammation, enhance mobility, and shorten LOS following TKA, without increasing the risk of complications. An additional dose could be requisite when fibrinolysis maintains after 5-dose regimen has already been performed.

Level of evidence: I.

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Author information

Author notes

  1. Yiting Lei and Jinwei Xie contributed equally to this work and should be considered as equal first authors.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, 37# WainanGuoxue Road, Chengdu, 610041, People’s Republic of China

    Yiting Lei, Jinwei Xie, Bin Xu, Xiaowei Xie, Qiang Huang & Fuxing Pei

Authors
  1. Yiting Lei
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  2. Jinwei Xie
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  3. Bin Xu
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  4. Xiaowei Xie
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  5. Qiang Huang
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  6. Fuxing Pei
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Fuxing Pei.

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Conflict of interest

All authors declare no conflict of interest.

Funding

This study was funded by the National Health and Family Planning Commission of the People’s Republic of China (CN) program (201302007).

Ethical approval

The trial was approved by the institutional review board and registered the International Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR-INR-16009288).

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Lei, Y., Xie, J., Xu, B. et al. The efficacy and safety of multiple-dose intravenous tranexamic acid on blood loss following total knee arthroplasty: a randomized controlled trial. International Orthopaedics (SICOT) 41, 2053–2059 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00264-017-3519-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00264-017-3519-x

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