CalStar is the first air ambulance in the United States to introduce a new clot stabilizing treatment to its arsenal of medications.

Tranexamic acid (TXA) could save hundreds of lives in California and thousands across the country, according to David Duncan, CalStar’s medical director.

According to Duncan, this old drug now has a new job — it has been shown to decrease the mortality of critically bleeding trauma patients by about 30 percent if given in the first hour. He predicts TXA will become widely used.

CalStar flight nurses can administer the first dose of TXA when on a scene or while in transport. A second dose, given over an eight-hour period, may be initiated by CalStar nurses or by the receiving center. Because of the newness of the drug, CalStar flight crews carry enough medication to give to the receiving medical center.