Mehran Khan, Ashfaq Ahmed, Fraz Umer, Atiq-uz Zaman, Saeed Ahmad, Naeem Ahmed, Shahzad Javed, Amer Aziz.
Total Knee Arthroplasty?; Post Operative Mean Blood Loss With Tranexamic Acid, Is Tranexamic Acid Effective In Reducing Blood Loss. A Randomized Controlled Trial In Tertiary Care Hospital, Pakistan.
Professional Med J Jan ;24(7):992-6.

The treatment of choice for osteoarthritic knee is Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and the most important problem in it is the blood loss. Objectives: To compare the postoperative mean blood loss with Tranexamic acid versus control after Total Knee Arthroplasty. Study Design: Randomized controlled trial. Setting: Ghurki Trust Teaching Hospital Lahore. Period: 01 year. Methodology: 100 patients were included and divided in 2 groups, selected by non-probability purposive sampling, fulfilling inclusion and exclusion criteria. Group T (Tranexamic) received 15mg/kg IV Tranexamic acid 10 minutes before inflating tourniquet and the same dose intravenously 3 hours post-operatively. Group C (control) received placebo (normal saline) intravenously. Blood loss collected in a container was measured with syringe/jar after 24 hours of surgery. Results: In group C there were 23(46%) males and 27(54%) females with male to female ratio 1:1.7 with mean age of 64yrs ± 6.3 yrs. In group T there were 28(56%) males and 22 (44%) females with male to female ratio 1.2:1 with mean age of 65yrs ± 7.4 yrs. After 24 hours Mean blood loss in Group C were 694 ±151 ml with 74 % patient in range of 600-900ml while Mean blood loss in Group T were 388 ml ±105 ml with 76 % patient in range of 300-600ml. Mean decrease in blood loss with the use of tranexamic acid { mean blood loss in T group – mean blood loss in T group } were 306 ml which were statistically significant(p< 0.05) using t Test. Conclusion: Tranexamic acid is a potent anti-fibrinolytic agent and its use in total knee arthroplasty results in decrease in post-operative blood loss thereby decreasing the need of blood transfusion.

PakMediNet -Pakistan's largest Database of Pakistani Medical Journals - http://www.pakmedinet.com