Tranexamic Acid to Prevent Obstetrical Hemorrhage After Cesarean Delivery

Abstract

(N Engl J Med 2023;388(15):1365–1375) Postpartum hemorrhage is the second leading cause of pregnancy-related death in the United States, and accounts for up to 27.1% of global maternal deaths. Tranexamic acid has been previously associated with a reduction in overall mortality in several different settings, but majorly in obstetrical contexts. Research has not discovered, however, if the use of tranexamic acid is beneficial when it comes to its prophylactic use to prevent significant blood loss after birth or related other outcomes such as incidence of blood transfusion products or need for additional intervention to control bleeding. This study was a randomized trial to assess the effectiveness of tranexamic acid administered immediately after umbilical cord clamping in reducing the risk of maternal death or blood transfusion compared to placebo.