UT Tyler, UT Health East Texas Partner to Host Meetings About New Trauma Study

April 19, 2024 | Elizabeth Wingfield

The University of Texas at Tyler Center for Clinical Research is partnering with UT Health East Texas to host virtual information meetings about a new trauma research study of the effects of a blood-clotting drug.

The meetings will take place at 2 p.m. Thursday, March 21 and 10 a.m. Thursday, March 28, via Zoom. The purpose of the meetings is to inform the community of the study that will be conducted through the UT Health Tyler trauma center.

Participants will consist of patients who have suffered a serious, potentially life-threatening injury and are admitted to the trauma center. Many will be unable to consent to participation due to unconsciousness, inability to speak or hear, or sickness.

The meetings will provide the researchers with the opportunity to gather feedback from the East Texas community. If the community reception is positive and the independent review board approves, UT Health East Texas and the UT Tyler Center for Clinical Research will proceed with the study. Members of the community who do not want to participate can request an opt-out bracelet to indicate non-consent should they ever be admitted to the trauma center.

Bleeding out is the most common cause of preventable death after injury. Even with current interventions, up to 30% of patients suffering from a serious traumatic injury die. The study is to determine if Kcentra®, a blood-clotting drug, can prevent patient deaths from bleeding out. Kcentra® is FDA approved and used to reverse the effects of blood-thinning medications.

“The results of this study have the potential to change the way trauma patients are treated,” said Dr. Luis Fernandez, a UT Health East Texas trauma surgeon and the principal investigator of the study. “If we can determine that Kcentra® is safe and effective for trauma patients, we can transform the standard of care for bleeding trauma patients and save thousands of lives.”

To provide feedback anonymously, complete a survey at uab.edu/medicine/cis/tap-trial-at-texas-health-tyler or contact Fernandez, 903-877-7753 or ClinicalResearch@uthct.edu.

Zoom link for 2 p.m. March 21: uab-mc.zoom.us/j/85729470068
Zoom link for 10 a.m. March 28: uab-mc.zoom.us/j/84135155679

About UT Health East Texas
UT Health East Texas provides care to thousands of patients each year through an extensive regional network that includes 10 hospitals, more than 50 clinics, the Olympic Plaza Tower, 13 regional rehabilitation facilities, two freestanding emergency centers, regional home health services covering 41 counties, an EMS fleet of more than 50 ambulances and four helicopters, and a comprehensive seven-trauma center care network, including the region’s only Level 1 trauma facility.

As a partner with The University of Texas System, UT Health East Texas is uniquely positioned to provide patients with access to leading-edge research and clinical therapies while training and educating the next generation of physicians and other health professionals. The nationally recognized UT System also includes UT MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, as well as three other major university medical centers located throughout the state.

About UT Tyler
With a mission to improve educational and health care outcomes for East Texas and beyond, UT Tyler offers more than 90 undergraduate and graduate programs to nearly 10,000 students. Through its alignment with UT Tyler Health Science Center and UT Health East Texas, UT Tyler has unified these entities to serve Texas with quality education, cutting-edge research and excellent patient care. Classified by Carnegie as a doctoral research institution and by U.S. News & World Report as a national university, UT Tyler has campuses in Tyler, Longview, Palestine and Houston.