Haemorrhage Alleviation With Tranexamic Acid- Intestinal System

Severe bleeding in the digestive system is a common symptom of many diseases. Each year, about 50,000 people end up in British hospitals because of this problem and about 5,000 of them die. The most common cause of this bleeding is stomach ulcers. In sub-Saharan Africa, schistosomiasis (parasitic worms) is responsible for about 130,000 deaths from stomach bleeding each year. From previous research in other bleeding conditions such as surgery and trauma, we know that a drug called tranexamic acid can reduce bleeding and save lives. We now want to do the HALT-IT trial to see if giving tranexamic acid can save lives and if there are any complications in people with severe bleeding from the digestive system.