Wonder drug to prevent 100,000 accidental deaths every year
POSTED June 15, 2010 - 14:01 | POSTED BY neha gupta
Last edited by Harpreet Bhagrath on June 15, 2010 - 15:25
The study funded by the British government looked at 200000 severely injured patients from 40 different countries.
They were all either bleeding excessively or at a risk of bleeding.
The participants were randomly given a gram of TXA in an injection and another gram through a drip or simply a placebo.
Further, the number of hospital deaths occurring within 4 weeks of the injury was recorded by the researchers.
Outcomes of the study
TXA was successful in reducing the death risk due to bleeding by almost one sixth in the patients.
Participants receiving TXA were at a 15 percent lower chance of dying from hemorrhage and at a 10 percent lower chance of dying from other causes like organ failure and a head injury.
The drug use resulted in no clotting complications, clearing the worries of several scientists who believed that TXA might enhance the risk of blood clotting complications such as heart attacks, strokes and clots in the lungs.
Thus the drug could help cut down death rates by preventing almost 100000 accidental deaths per year once it is launched.
"The option to use tranexamic acid should be available to doctors treating trauma patients in all countries," said Ian Roberts and Haleema Shakur of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, whose study was published in The Lancet.
“Based on their findings, TXA could save about 13,000 lives each year in India and about 12,000 in China, they said. It would also save around 2,000 in the U.S. and more in Europe,” he added.
TXA, an essential drug
An off-patent drug, TXA is manufactured by various companies and costs approximately $4.50 per gram.
"This is one of the cheapest ways ever to save a life," said Ian Roberts. “It is usually given via an injection and would be relatively easy to introduce, even in poor countries”
Besides helping accident victims, it is also helpful in elective surgeries like heart and brain operations.
If TXA was readily available, between 70,000 and 100,000 lives a year could be saved, believe the researchers. Though the drug was not tested in children, they are almost certain that it would work in them as well.
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