21 Ruth Mielke and Angela Sojobi
Channel: Virtual Midwives
Date: 2022-05-10

Tranexamic acid for postpartum hemorrhage: Here, there, and everywhere

Facilitator: Jackson Ngaruiya Muchiri

In the United States, tranexamic acid (TXA) is an approved antifibrinolytic agent for women experiencing heavy menstrual bleeding. Large, multi-site studies have also demonstrated TXA effectiveness in reducing death from blood loss following trauma and major surgery and most recently, obstetric hemorrhage. As a result, WHO recommends the use of TXA in obstetrics – specifically for primary management of the most common type of obstetric hemorrhage, postpartum hemorrhage (PPH). In the U.S., professional organizations recommend TXA as an adjunctive therapy for PPH. The use of TXA to prevent PPH in vaginal and cesarean delivery is also being studied from population and risk-based perspectives. This presentation will present the a) use of TXA in the context of the physiologic changes of pregnancy b) use of TXA in the treatment of PPH in the United States, c) state of the science globally with respect to prophylactic use TXA use to prevent PPH.