Battlefield administration of tranexamic acid by combat troops: a feasibility analysis.

This paper suggests that 1 g tranexamic acid should be incorporated as an intramuscular auto-injector and issued to combat troops for self- or buddy-administration in the event of suffering severe injury. Early administration of tranexamic acid has shown to be beneficial in preventing death from bleeding in trauma patients in both the military and the civilian settings. Tranexamic acid is cheap, safe, easy to administer and saves lives. Future conflicts may be characterised by prolonged pre-hospital times and delayed access to advanced medical care. The use of this drug is the next logical step in reducing combat trauma deaths. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.