Effect of single dose intravenous tranexamic acid on blood loss in tangential excision of burn wounds — A double blind randomised controlled trial

Abstract Introduction This study was carried out to evaluate role of intravenous tranexamic acid (TXA) in reducing blood loss during tangential excision of burns. Methods This was a single center, prospective double-blinded parallel arm superiority randomized placebo-controlled trial. Patients (15−55 years) with deep dermal thermal burns Results Thirty patients were included. Both groups were comparable in terms of Body Mass Index (BMI) preoperative hemoglobin, area of burn excised, duration of surgery and the intraoperative temperature. The average blood loss per square centimeter burn area excised was found to be significantly lower in TXA when compared to placebo group (mean difference: 0.28 ± 0.025 ml/cm2; p = 0.000). The total volume of blood loss was lower in TXA group (258.7 ± 124.10 ml vs 388.1 ± 173.9 ml; p = 0.07). None of the patients required transfusion. The requirement of intra-operative fluids was similar between the two groups (crystalloids: p = 0.236; colloids: p = 0.238). Postoperative hemoglobin, length of hospitalization and graft-take were comparable between the two groups. Conclusion TXA reduced blood loss per unit burn area of tangential excision in