Update on Applications and Limitations of Perioperative Tranexamic Acid.

Tranexamic acid (TXA) is a potent antifibrinolytic with documented efficacy in reducing blood loss and allogeneic red blood cell transfusion in several clinical settings. With a growing emphasis on patient blood management, TXA has become an integral aspect of perioperative blood conservation strategies. While clinical applications of TXA in the perioperative period are expanding, routine use in select clinical scenarios should be supported by evidence for efficacy. Furthermore, questions regarding optimal dosing without increased risk of adverse events such as thrombosis or seizures should be answered. Therefore, ongoing investigations into TXA utilization in cardiac surgery, obstetrics, acute trauma, orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, pediatric surgery, and other perioperative settings continue. The aim of this review is to provide an update on the current applications and limitations of TXA use in the perioperative period.

Accuracy of international classification of diseases, ninth revision, codes for postpartum hemorrhage among women undergoing cesarean delivery.

BACKGROUND: Determining the accuracy of International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9) codes for postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is vital for reaching valid conclusions about the epidemiology of PPH. Our primary objectives were to assess the performance characteristics of ICD-9 PPH codes against a reference standard using estimated blood loss (EBL) among a cohort undergoing Cesarean delivery. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: We analyzed maternal discharge and EBL data from women who underwent Cesarean delivery at Kaiser Permanente Northern California facilities between 2010 and 2013. We defined PPH as an EBL of at least 1000 mL. In a secondary analysis, ICD-9 performance characteristics were assessed using an EBL of at least 1500 mL to classify severe PPH. RESULTS: We identified 35,614 hospitalizations for Cesarean delivery. Using EBL of at least 1000 mL as the "gold standard," PPH codes had a sensitivity of 27.8%, specificity of 97%, positive predictive value (PPV) of 74.5%, and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 80.9%. The prevalence of a PPH code (9%) was lower than the prevalence using a blood loss of at least 1000 mL (24%). Using a reference standard of EBL of at least 1500 mL, PPH codes had a sensitivity of 61.7%, specificity of 93.8%, PPV of 34.2%, and NPV of 97.9%. CONCLUSION: PPH ICD-9 codes have high specificity, moderately high PPVs and NPVs, and low sensitivity. An EBL of at least 1500 mL as a reference standard has higher sensitivity. Our findings suggest that, for women undergoing Cesarean delivery, quality improvement efforts are needed to enhance PPH ICD-9 coding accuracy in administrative data sets.

Perioperative and transfusion outcomes in women undergoing cesarean hysterectomy for abnormal placentation.

BACKGROUND: Women with placenta increta (PI) and placenta percreta (PP) are at high risk of obstetric hemorrhage; however, the severity of hemorrhage and perioperative morbidity may differ according to the degree of placental invasion. We sought to compare blood component usage and perioperative morbidity between women with PI versus PP undergoing cesarean hysterectomy (CH). STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: We identified 77 women who underwent CH for PI or PP from the NICHD MFMU Network Cesarean Registry, which sourced data from 19 centers from 1999 to 2002. We examined demographic, obstetric, and surgical data and rates of transfusion and perioperative morbidity. We performed statistical tests for between-group analyses; p values less than 0.05 were significant. RESULTS: Rates of intraoperative or postoperative red blood cell (RBC) transfusion were similar between groups (PI 84% vs. PP 88%; p=0.7). We observed no between-group differences in rates of fresh-frozen plasma (FFP) transfusion (intraoperative FFP-PI 30% vs. PP 41%; p=0.3; postoperative FFP-PI 28% vs. PP 18%; p=0.4) or platelet (PLT) transfusion (intraoperative PLTs-PI 14% vs. PP 29%; p=0.2; postoperative PLTs-PI 9% vs. PP 9%; p=1.0). Among the morbidities, a higher proportion of PP women underwent cystotomy (PI 14% vs. PP 38%; p=0.02) and postoperative mechanical ventilation (PI 14% vs. PP 35%; p=0.03). CONCLUSION: Rates of intraoperative RBC, FFP, and PLT transfusion are similar for PI and PP women, and perioperative outcomes are worse for PP women. We suggest the same mobilization transfusion medicine support for both groups, including blood ordering (type and cross-match for CH) and availability of emergency blood protocols including fibrinogen-containing preparations.

The effectiveness of preemptive sphenopalatine ganglion block on postoperative pain and functional outcomes after functional endoscopic sinus surgery.

BACKGROUND: The sphenopalatine ganglion block (SPGB) with local anesthetic is used to treat facial pain and headache of various etiologies; it has been widely used during functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS). The purpose of this study was to investigate whether preemptive SPGB may positively impact postoperative pain and functional outcomes after FESS. METHODS: A prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study was performed. A total of 60 patients (18-70 years), undergoing general anesthesia for bilateral FESS, were randomly assigned to receive SPGB with either 2 mL 0.25% bupivacaine with epinephrine 1:100,000 (BP, treatment group) or normal saline (NS, control group). SPGB was performed preemptively 10 minutes before the start of surgery. Preoperative and postoperative (day 0, day 7, and day 30) visual analog pain scale, Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-20), computed tomography (CT) and endoscopic scores were compared between the 2 groups. RESULTS: A total of 29 patients were enrolled in BP, and 27 were enrolled in NS. Three patients withdrew from the study, and 1 was withdrawn by the investigator due to severe hypertension after induction of anesthesia. There were no differences in patient demographic characteristics between the study groups. On day 7, the mean visual analog pain scales were 1.12 ± 0.3 in NS and 0.48 ± 0.23 in BP (p = 0.053). There were no statistical differences in other outcome measures (SNOT-20, CT and endoscopic scores) between the 2 groups. CONCLUSION: A limited trend toward reduced postoperative pain after FESS was noted with bupivacaine compared to saline, but statistical significance was not achieved. Preemptive SPGB may offer sinonasal symptomatic benefits for patients undergoing FESS, but larger studies are warranted.