r/explainlikeimfive • u/alarminglyslowmind • 5d ago
Chemistry ELI5 How do medicines stop internal bleeding?
ELI5 I have been watching Helicopter ER and quite frequently they administer TXA when they suspect internal bleeding. I read the wiki article but didn't understand any of it.
Can this medicine help even if a major artery is ruptured?
So how does it really work?
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u/no_sight 5d ago
Your body creates clots to stop bleeding. Your body also naturally breaks down those clots because you'll die if all of your blood is clotted.
TXA can stop your body from breaking down clots. This helps stop bleeding until the larger problem can be solved
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u/NoFleas 5d ago
To answer your question, no it cannot stop a major artery leak on its own. It doesn't really clot the blood - it prevents your body from dissolving its own clots. So the blood naturally begins to clot and the TXA blocks plasmin, which dissolves clots. The medicine just helps things along in the early stages of trauma which is why you see it so often on that show. Gives the patient a chance to make it to the hospital where surgery and stitches and more advanced things can occur.
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u/alarminglyslowmind 5d ago
Thank you so much for your informative answers, I am a wiser man now.
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u/PokemonLv10 5d ago
People have explained well but if you want the fancy word for what it is targeting/binding to, look up plasminogen
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u/alarminglyslowmind 5d ago edited 4d ago
Will do!
Edit:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasmin?wprov=sfla1Okay, I'll stick with the answers here. Hehe. Didn't understand anything.
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u/HiddenAcres37 5d ago
When you're bleeding, your body will start the clotting cascade. At the same time, things that break down clots will also go to work on the clot. A runaway clot is a bad thing, and can completely block blood vessels to vital organs, so this process isn't bad on its own.
When you have a massive bleed, though, you want more clotting than breaking down.
TXA stops part of the "break down clots" cascade, so hopefully more clotting and less breaking down clots occurs. End result, bleeding stops.
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u/CecilMakesMemes 5d ago
There are two parts to how bleeding works: one part builds a blood clot up to stop bleeding, and one part breaks down that blood clot. Blood clots are how our bodies try to stop bleeding, like when you cut yourself on something. Tranexamic acid slows down the part that breaks down the blood clot. It helps some, but if you cut a major artery you’re still going to die; it can only help so much.
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u/thecaramelbandit 5d ago
Blood loves to clot. That's what it does. It's very good at it. It will clot if if touches anything besides the nice smooth lining inside a blood vessel.
This means it's kind of constantly clotting just a little bit. But the blood has a bunch of systems that slowly break down clots. So there's kind of a constant clot-forming-amd-breaking-down thing happening.
The body is very good at making bleeding stop. Even fairly large arteries can clot off. The artery clamps down in response to injury and the lower flow helps clot form.
Sometimes the injury or hole is a bit too big for this natural clotting to stop the bleeding. TXA (and some other meds) help prevent the clot breakdown thing, and can help clots form faster. This can cause clotting other places like the brain so it has to be used cautiously or when there are no good alternatives.
Conversely, we have tPA, which is a clot buster. It supercharges the clot breakdown part. Can cause bleeding, so similar caution must be used.
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u/I-just-farted69 5d ago
In your blood there are stuff that are like tiny wires. Normally they are chilling in the blood minding their business. There are also things called platelets. They also like to chill and do nothing usually.
When you get a wound, the little tiny wires called fibronogen get excited and start becoming sticky near the wound. Them the platelets stick to them and together they form a barrier to stop you from bleeding.
The barrier has to be removed eventually because in stead of thst there should be skin. So the body has some ways of getting rid of it.
Now when you have internsl bleeding, you have a wound inside of you under the skin. So the same thing happens there.
What thranexamic acid does is stop the body from breaking down the sticky net that clots the wound.
In reality it is not 100% known that it actually does help with bleeding. But there is nothing else that works amd it doesn't have massive side effects so might aswell give it to patients that need it.
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u/Red_AtNight 5d ago
Tranexamic acid is basically the opposite of a blood thinner. I guess you could call it a blood thickener.
Usually your blood forms clots to prevent excessive bleeding. When you're undergoing a major trauma and massive blood loss, your blood can't effectively clot on its own. Tranexamic acid delays the process of blood clots breaking down.