Prehospital tranexamic acid: What is the current evidence?

Abstract

Many trauma systems are examining whether to implement prehospital tranexamic acid (TXA) protocols since hemorrhage remains the leading cause of potentially preventable early trauma mortality, and early in-hospital administration of TXA within 3 hours of injury is associated with reduced mortality. But robust evidence regarding the efficacy of prehospital administration of the antifibrinolytic drug TXA on trauma outcomes is lacking. This review examines the current evidence available regarding prehospital TXA efficacy in both military and civilian trauma, and updates available evidence regarding in-hospital TXA efficacy in trauma.