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Antifibrinolytic

Tranexamic Acid (Burns Surgery)

Brand names: Cyklokapron, Cyclokapron

Tranexamic acid is an antifibrinolytic used around burns surgery, particularly tangential excision and grafting, to reduce intraoperative blood loss and transfusion requirements during these often haemorrhagic procedures.

Dosing — being independently re-sourced

ClinCalc Pro is rebuilding its dose data from primary open sources — the manufacturer SmPC (eMC), the WHO Model Formulary and other official references — under clinician review. This drug's structured dose is not yet published here. Confirm all doses against the product SmPC and your local formulary before prescribing.

Clinical monograph

How it works

It competitively blocks the lysine-binding sites on plasminogen, preventing its conversion to plasmin and stabilising formed fibrin clot, thereby reducing fibrinolysis and surgical bleeding.

Prescribing in practice

  • Assess thromboembolic risk before use, as inhibiting clot breakdown can predispose to venous or arterial thrombosis, and avoid in active thromboembolic disease.
  • Dose reduction is required in renal impairment because the drug is renally cleared and can accumulate.
  • It is used perioperatively as an adjunct to surgical haemostasis, not as a substitute for it.

Monitoring

Monitor blood loss, haemoglobin and for any clinical signs of thromboembolism, with renal function informing dosing.

Counselling the patient

  • This medicine helps reduce bleeding during burns surgery.
  • Report calf pain, swelling, chest pain or breathlessness, which could indicate a clot.
  • It is given around the time of the operation as part of blood-conservation care.

Evidence & guidelines

Tranexamic acid reduces surgical bleeding across many settings, supported by the CRASH-2 trial in trauma and increasing evidence in burns surgery.

Reference: CRASH-2 trial; BBA transfusion guidelines; Drug verified in RxNorm (NLM); confirm dosing against the manufacturer SPC (eMC). Verify against your local formulary and current prescribing references before prescribing. Monograph status: clinician-reviewed (2026-07-04).

Related

Curated clinical cross-links plus same-class fallbacks.

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