Fibrinolysis Hemorrhage

The study investigators are interested in learning more about how drugs, that are given to children by their health care provider, act in the bodies of children and young adults in hopes to find the most safe and effective dose for children. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the PK of understudied drugs currently being administered to children per SOC as prescribed by their treating provider.

Tranexamic axid is routinely used as an antifibrinolytic agent in cardiac surgery to reduce the risk of blood loss and transfusion. However, there is no consensus regarding the dosage regimen of tranexamic acid that should be administered. The purpose of this study is to compare different dosages of tranexamic acid in cardiac surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass regarding the duration of inhibition of fibrinolysis as measured by the ClotPro test. Blood samples will be taken from the arterial line placed in the patient at specified time points in order to perform viscoelastic tests (ClotPro, TPA test), to detect successful inhibition of fibrinolysis and to measure tranexamic acid levels in the patient's blood. In case the action of tranexamic acid stops early postoperatively an additional dose of the medication will be administered to the patient.

The present study is a multi-center randomized prospective placebo-controlled non-inferiority trial. The study's primary objective is to compare the amounts of postoperative bleeding using two different TXA administration strategies: empirical TXA administration vs. viscoelastic test-based goal-directed TXA administration in cardiovascular surgery. The secondary objectives include comparing the incidents of hyper-fibrinolysis, thromboembolic complications, and postoperative seizures. Researchers assumed that goal-directed tranexamic acid (TXA) administration using viscoelastic field tests would not be inferior to the empirical TXA administration strategy in reducing postoperative bleeding and hyper-fibrinolysis. It also would be beneficial in lowering TXA-induced thromboembolic complications and seizures.