Increasing Survival After Major Trauma and Blood Loss

Hasan Alam at Mass General suggests that survival after major trauma associated with major blood loss could be improved by administering valproic acid (Depakote) to the injured. Depakote is used neurologically as an anti-seizure and migraine preventative medicine. Valproic acid aids cells survival on less oxygen by its histone deacetylase inhibitory properties. Found first to be effective on injured rats then on pigs experimentally. More than 500,000 people per year bleed to death as a result of major trauma including motor vehicle accidents and combat wounds.

Surgery, DOI: 10.1016/j.surg.2009.04.007