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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 — not shown for this use

The product information we hold does not support a dose for this page's specific use, route or population, so none is shown. Follow your local or national guideline, and confirm against the product SmPC.

The licensed dosing — for the medicine's licensed uses, which may differ from this page's — is on Tranexamic Acid.

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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