What did they find?

This review by Patel, Robertson & McConachie identified 21 published cases of inadvertent spinal TXA administration. Notably 10 patients died, and almost all suffered life-threatening side effects.

What are the common signs?

• Block failure.
• Severe back and buttock pain (universal).
• Seizures.
• HT, tachycardia, arrhythmias, CVS collapse.

How should it be managed?

There are three components to managing intrathecal TXA:

1. Treating TXA-induced seizures with anticonvulsants: magnesium; benzodiazepines; barbiturates (thiopentone); phenytoin; possibly propofol. Thiopentone infusion was frequently required to terminate seizures.
2. Mitigate TXA neurotoxic effects: maintain head-up; CSF lavage to dilute TXA, infusing crystalloid at an interspace higher than an IT needle draining CSF, 10mL for 10mL, repeated up to 4 times.
3. Haemodynamic monitoring & support

How does this happen?

In almost all cases ampoule identification error was the primary cause.

Human factor contributions identified were:

1. Failure to check ampoule label.
2. Similar ampoule appearance.
3. Spinal catheter mistaken for IV (1).
4. Lack of drug handling and storage policies.
5. Storage of tranexamic acid with LA or lack of physical separation.
6. Underestimating potential for error.

"All errors could have been prevented..."

summary

• S Patel, B Robertson, and I McConachie.
• Department of Anaesthesia, Tawam Hospital, Al Ain, UAE.
• Anaesthesia. 2019 Jul 1; 74 (7): 904-914.

AbstractWe have reviewed accidental spinal administration of tranexamic acid. We performed a MEDLINE search of cases of administration of tranexamic acid during epidural or spinal anaesthesia between 1960 and 2018. No reports of epidural administration were identified. We identified 21 cases of spinal tranexamic acid administration. Life-threatening neurological and/or cardiac complications, requiring resuscitation and/or intensive care, occurred in 20 patients; 10 patients died. We used a Human Factors Analysis Classification System model to analyse any contributing factors, and the reports were also assessed using four published recommendations for the reduction in neuraxial drug error. In 20 cases, ampoule error was the cause; in the last case a spinal catheter was mistaken for an intravenous catheter. All were classified as skill-based errors. Several human factors related to organisational policy; dispensing and storage of drugs and preparation for spinal anaesthesia tasks were present. All errors could have been prevented by implementing the four published recommendations.© 2019 Association of Anaesthetists.

This article appears in the collection: Inadvertent spinal tranexamic acid: a devastating error.

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