Effect of Oral Tranexamic Acid on the Blood Transfusion Rate and the Incidence of Deep Vein Thromboembolism in Patients after TKA

PURPOSE: To explore the effect of oral tranexamic acid treatment on the blood transfusion rate and the incidence of deep vein thromboembolism after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). METHODS: 90 patients undergoing TKA admitted to First People's Hospital of Changshu City from January 2019 to January 2020 were selected and randomized into the control group and the experimental group accordingly (45 cases in each group). The control group intravenously received 20 mL/kg tranexamic acid before the incision was closed. The experimental group was given 1 g of tranexamic acid orally before anesthesia, 6 h and 12 h after the operation. RESULTS: The experimental group witnessed better perioperative indexes in relation to the control group. The experimental group displayed better postoperative coagulation function indexes as compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Remarkably lower postoperative vascular endothelial function indexes in the experimental group than in the control group were observed. The experimental group experienced a markedly lower incidence of deep vein thromboembolism in comparison with the control group (P < 0.05). The postoperative knee society score (KSS) score of the experimental group was significantly higher than that of the control group. A significantly higher postoperative modified rivermead mobility index (MRMI) score was yielded in the experimental group in contrast to the control group (P < 0.05). The experimental group obtained lower numerical rating scale (NRS) scores at T2 and T3 as compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: Oral tranexamic acid is a suitable alternative for patients undergoing TKA in terms of reducing the blood transfusion rate, relieving pain, and accelerating the recovery of the patient's limbs.