Tranexamic acid for traumatic brain injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

The antifibrinolytic agent tranexamic acid (TXA) has demonstrated clinical benefit in trauma patients with severe bleeding, but its effectiveness in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) is unclear. We conducted a systematic review to evaluate the following research question: In ED patients with or at risk of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) secondary to TBI, does TXA compared to placebo improve patients' outcomes?

Methods

MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and other databases were searched for randomized controlled trial (RCT) or quasi-RCT studies that compared the effect of TXA to placebo on outcomes of TBI patients. The main outcomes of interest included mortality, neurologic function, hematoma expansion, and adverse effects. We used "Grading quality of evidence and str

SUBMITTER: Zehtabchi S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4988127 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature