A new drug being used by B-C Emergency Health Services is helping stabilize patients before they get to the hospital.
Tranexamic Acid or TXA is being used for patients who experience severe trauma.
Vice President of Medical Program William Dick says the drug helps prevent blood clots.
“So that when blood does clot, and bleeding is slowed down by the body’s natural mechanisms those clots become more stable and it essentially plugs off the holes in blood vessels and reduces the amount of bleeding internally in that patient.”
Dick says paramedics are undergoing extra training to know who can or cannot receive TXA.
He says about 250 patients a year will receive this drug.