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A new video released by South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) highlights the life-saving impact of tranexamic acid (TXA) in pre-hospital emergency care.
Developed in collaboration with the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration South West Peninsula (PenARC), the film shows how ambulance clinicians across the South West are using the low-cost medication in line with international evidence to reduce life-threatening bleeding in patients with major trauma.
In 2024, SWASFT clinicians administered TXA to 1,398 patients ranging in age from two months to 102 years old. Around 40% of administrations were for time-critical injuries, 35% for head injuries and 15% for patients following a major trauma pathway, with a further 3% given for post-partum haemorrhage. The drug was delivered intravenously in 94% of cases.
TXA works by preventing the breakdown of blood clots, helping to control severe bleeding before patients reach hospital. Trauma remains one of the leading causes of preventable death, and early administration of TXA has been shown to significantly improve survival outcomes. Its use is now embedded within NHS ambulance service clinical practice guidelines.
Professor Stuart Logan, Director of PenARC, said the project demonstrated how applied research can directly improve patient care, helping to embed evidence-based treatments into frontline emergency response.
The evidence underpinning the use of TXA comes from the NIHR-funded CRASH-2 trial, which involved more than 20,000 trauma patients across 40 countries. Published in 2010, the study found that TXA can reduce the risk of death from bleeding by up to 30% when given within three hours of injury.
While the drug was rapidly adopted in military trauma care, PenARC supported its early introduction into SWASFT practice in 2011, working with ambulance crews and emergency departments across the South West to develop shared protocols.
The film reflects on the impact of that decision 15 years on, featuring frontline clinicians and highlighting the importance of rapid decision-making and consistent clinical pathways in trauma care.
Dr Sarah Black, Head of Research, Audit and Improvement at South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Working with PenARC has been fantastic. We are very lucky regionally and nationally that the NIHR funds PenARC, because it makes a real difference to patients. Research doesn’t just sit on the shelf; it makes a difference if you implement it.”
The full video is available to watch below:
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