Trasylol is used to prevent blood loss during heart surgery. Manufactured by Bayer, Trasylol received FDA approval in 1993. Trasylol, also known by its generic name Aprotinin, is a popular drug that has been administrated to more than one million patients in over 60 countries. In November 2007, Bayer stopped producing Trasylol because it was linked to several severe side effects.

When is Trasylol Used?

Trasylol is used during coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) to reduce blood loss and the need for blood transfusions. Doctors remove plaque from the heart muscles during CABG surgeries, which may cause significant blood loss. There are over 800,000 CABG surgeries performed each year; Trasylol is used one third of the time.

How does Trasylol work?

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Trasylol contains the active ingredient aprotinin and is classified as an antifibrinolytic. Plasmin is an enzyme in the blood that prevents blood clotting. Trasylol destroys the plasmin allowing the blood to resume normal clotting and avoid blood loss.

Trasylol Side Effects

Trasylol poses a small but potentially dangerous allergic reaction risk. Repeat exposure to Trasylol, however, triples the allergic reaction risk. Trasylol’s label warns users of this side effect. Trasylol allergic reactions symptoms include:

  • Skin eruptions
  • Circulatory failure
  • Nausea
  • Respiratory complications.

A study published by the New England Medicine Journal found that Trasylol use increases the risk of suffering dangerous and fatal side effects.

These Trasylol side effects include:

Trasylol FDA Warnings

In September 2006, the FDA ordered Bayer to add a box warning to Trasylol’s label about the kidney failure and death risk. In November 2007, the FDA ordered Bayer to remove Trasylol from the market after studies linked Trasylol use to tens of thousands of deaths.

Trasylol Alternatives

Aminocaproic acid and Tranexamic acid are two generic Trasylol alternatives. They perform the same blood clotting function as Trasylol but do not pose the dangerous side effects and are significantly cheaper. A study showed that using Trasylol alternatives instead of Trasylol could prevent over 11,000 kidney problems, save over a billion dollars in healthcare, and reduce worldwide drug costs by $250 million.

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If you or a loved one has been injured by Trasylol, or if you would like more information on Trasylol or its side effects, please contact us today.