Efficacy and safety of antifibrinolytic agents in spinal surgery: a network meta-analysis.

Background: Significant blood loss is still one of the most frequent complications in spinal surgery, which often necessitates blood transfusion. Massive perioperative blood loss and blood transfusion can create additional risks. Aprotinin, tranexamic acid (TXA), and epsilon-aminocaproic acid (EACA) are antifibrinolytics currently offered as prophylactic agents to reduce surgery-associated blood loss. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of aprotinin, EACA, and low/high doses of TXA in spinal surgery, and assess the use of which agent is the most optimal intervention using the network meta-analysis (NMA) method.