Tranexamic Acid for Prevention of Hemorrhage in Cesarean Delivery

Obstetric hemorrhage has been identified as a contributory cause for the United States' suboptimal and inequitable outcomes among pregnant women. As such, obstetric hemorrhage has become a formal focus point in a national agenda to improve maternal outcomes. Strategies to identify maternal hypovolemia and treating obstetric hemorrhage are undergoing organized scrutiny in many states including Texas. Tranexamic acid (TXA) treatment is receiving increased emphasis in obstetric care because TXA inhibits fibrinolysis. Increased clot stability offers the possibility of preventing blood loss (prophylaxis) as well as mitigating ongoing hemorrhage. TXA therapy has been principally studied in nonpregnant populations; results of studies in pregnant women have been lacking. Tranexamic acid is an antifibrinolytic agent that acts as a competitive inhibitor at the lysine binding sites of plasminogen and inhibits the ability of protease plasmin to cleave the fibrin clot. In large randomized controlled trials, it has been reported to be effective in decreasing perioperative blood loss in a variety of circumstances primarily involving trauma patients. Shakur and co-authors in a trial of 20,000 non-pregnant trauma patients reported a significant reduction in all-cause mortality after TXA administration. In another large study (WOMAN Trial), 20,000 pregnant women with hemorrhage were randomized to TXA or placebo. TXA was associated with a significant decrease in death due to bleeding. Tranexamic acid's role in treating hemorrhage have been widely studied in non-pregnant populations. Studies of TXA in obstetrics are limited. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists believes the data is insufficient to recommend tranexamic acid for prophylaxis. The investigators designed a randomized placebo-controlled trial comparing TXA dosing prior to incision for cesarean delivery with a repeat dose given at placental delivery. The purpose is to quantify blood loss during uncomplicated repeat cesarean deliveries with and without TXA. The investigators elected to study scheduled elective cesareans because such procedures are at low risk for profound hemorrhage. It is the intent to have a study cohort where the two treatment groups (TXA or placebo) are as comparable as possible, so the efficacy of TXA is not tested in women with highly variable volumes of obstetric hemorrhage.