Background
Placenta accreta is an obstetric emergency and the main cause of maternal morbidity and mortality due to the associated bleeding and coagulopathy. Tranexamic acid has been widely used to decrease blood loss in trauma patients and patients with postpartum hemorrhage. We aimed at studying the effect of tranexamic acid in reducing blood loss and blood transfusion in patients with placenta accreta.
Methods
In a double-blinded randomized controlled study, 46 patients were recruited and divided into two groups, Group A is the tranexamic group where patients received 10 mg/kg tranexamic acid after cord clamping and continued on tranexamic infusion 10 mg/kg/h till the end of the surgery. Group B is the placebo where patients received normal saline instead. Primary outcome was the amount of intraoperative blood loss, and other outcomes included the number of blood and blood products transfused intraoperative and in the first 24 h postoperative, the immediate postoperative Hb level, platelet count, and coagulation profile. Data were collected, coded, tabulated, and then analyzed using Minitab® 16.1.0 statistics software package. Variables were presented as mean and standard deviation and analyzed using unpaired test. Any difference with value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results
Amount of intraoperative blood loss was significantly less in the tranexamic group 2232 ± 1204 ml compared to the placebo group 3405 ± 1193 ml ( value 0.002), and patients in the tranexamic group received less units of packed red blood cells, fresh frozen plasma, and platelets compared to those in the placebo group (4.2 ± 1.9 vs 6.1 ± 2.2 with value 0.003, 3.4 ± 1.3 vs 4.2 ± 1.2 with value 0.036 and 4.8 ± 2.1 vs 6.2 ± 2.4 with value 0.041, respectively). There was no statistically significant difference in the first postoperative Hb level, platelet count, and coagulation profile between the two groups; however, the amount of blood and products transfused in the first 24 h postoperative were significantly less in the tranexamic group
Conclusion
Tranexamic acid infusion was effective in reducing intraoperative blood loss and intraoperative and postoperative blood and blood products’ transfusion.