Topic:Hemorrhage
Hemorrhage in horses refers to the escape of blood from blood vessels into surrounding tissues or outside the body, which can occur due to trauma, surgical procedures, or underlying health conditions. It presents in various forms, such as internal bleeding, external bleeding, or bleeding into body cavities. Hemorrhage can affect different systems within the horse, including the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and musculoskeletal systems, depending on the location and severity of the bleeding. The management of hemorrhage involves identifying the source of bleeding, controlling blood loss, and providing supportive care to maintain the horse's physiological stability. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the causes, mechanisms, and management strategies of hemorrhage in equine medicine.
Brodifacoum toxicosis in two horses. Increased popularity during the past decade of brodifacoum, an anticoagulant rodenticide, has led to an increase in cases of accidental poisoning in nontarget species, including pets and farm animals. Pharmacokinetics of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides such as brodifacoum are substantially different from those of first-generation anticoagulant rodenticides such as warfarin. This difference dramatically influences management of exposure in terms of duration and cost of treatment and may affect outcome. The National Poison Control Center reports that approximately 50 cases of brodif...
Persistent penile prolapse associated with acute blood loss and acepromazine maleate administration in a horse. Prolonged penile prolapse in horses has been reported in association with administration of phenothiazine tranquilizers, trauma, neuropathies, severe general debilitation or exhaustion, starvation, rabies, herpes myeloencephalitis, equine infectious anemia, and purpura hemorrhagica. A 5-year-old gelding was admitted for treatment of prolonged penile prolapse of 12 days' duration that developed after acepromazine maleate was administered to allow examination of a laceration that had resulted in severe blood loss. The horse was sedated, and the penis was replaced in the preputial cavity by use o...
Surgical treatment of progressive ethmoidal hematoma aided by computed tomography in a foal. A progressive ethmoidal hematoma (PEH) was treated successfully in a 4-week-old Belgian filly by surgical removal, using a frontonasal bone flap. The filly had respiratory stridor, epistaxis, and facial enlargement over the left paranasal sinuses, which had progressively increased in size since birth. Computed tomographic images of the head obtained with the foal under general anesthesia were useful in determining the extent and nature of the soft-tissue mass and planning surgical intervention. On the basis of the histologic appearance of the mass, a diagnosis of PEH was made. Twelve months af...
Effects of airway obstruction on transmural pulmonary artery pressure in exercising horses. To determine whether laryngeal hemiplegia would increase transmural pulmonary artery pressure (TPAP). Methods: 6 horses. Methods: Horses were studied under 5 conditions: control conditions, after induction of left laryngeal hemiplegia, during obstruction of the left nostril, after placement of an instrumented tracheostomy, and after placement of an open tracheostomy. Horses were evaluated after being given saline solution and after being given furosemide. Methods: Horses were exercised on a high speed treadmill, using a maximum speed of 13 m/s. During each exercise, airway pressures, airflow, ...
Lesions of experimental equine morbillivirus pneumonia in horses. Laboratory examinations of equine morbillivirus included experimental reproductions of the disease caused by the virus by transmission of mixed lung and spleen taken from two field equine cases into two horses and by inoculating tissue culture virus into a further two horses. The most distinctive gross lesions of the diseases that developed in three of the horses was that of pulmonary edema characterized by gelatinous distension of subpleural lymphatics. Histologically, the lesions in the lungs were those of serofibrinous alveolar edema, alveolar macrophages, hemorrhage, thrombosis of capillar...
Nasal septoplasty for correction of septal deviation in a foal. This article reports an alternative to septal resection in nasal septal deviations involving the rostral 7 to 10 cm of the nasal septum. Methods: Case report. Methods: One client-owned foal. Methods: A nasal approach with mucosal elevation was used to gain access to the cartilaginous portion of the nasal septum. Once exposed, a series of parasagittal incisions in the cartilage allowed the septum to be repositioned while providing some intrinsic stabilization. Results: The nasal approach provided good access to the rostral 7 cm of the nasal septum. The technique resulted in minimal hemorrhage f...
Pulmonary vascular pressures of strenuously exercising Thoroughbreds after administration of varying doses of frusemide. The frusemide dose-response for attenuation of exercise-induced pulmonary capillary hypertension was studied in 7 healthy, exercise-conditioned Thoroughbred horses using previously described haemodynamic procedures. Four different doses of frusemide were tested: 250 mg regardless of bodyweight (amounting to 0.56 +/- 0.03 mg/kg bwt), 1.0 mg/kg bwt, 1.5 mg/kg bwt and 2.0 mg/kg bwt. Frusemide was administered i.v., 4 h before exercise. Haemodynamic data were obtained at rest and during treadmill exercise performed at 14.2 m/s on a 3.5% uphill grade; this workload elicited maximal heart rate of ho...
Acute hemorrhagic pulmonary infarction and necrotizing pneumonia in horses: 21 cases (1967-1993). To characterize history, clinical signs, and pathologic findings in horses with histologically confirmed acute hemorrhagic pulmonary infarction and necrotizing pneumonia. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: 21 horses. Results: 19 of the 21 horses were Thoroughbred racehorses in training. Eighteen horses had had strenuous exercise immediately prior to onset of illness. Fifteen horses had a serosanguineous nasal discharge during hospitalization. Seventeen horses had radiographic evidence of pulmonary consolidation and pleural effusion. Nine of 14 horses had ultrasonographic evidence of large ...
Varices with thrombosis in the cervix and uterus of a mare. Cervical and uterine varices with thrombosis were observed at the necropsy of a virgin 16-year-old Peruvian Paso that had previous episodes of hemorrhage from the uterus. Practitioners and pathologists should be alert to the possibility of ruptured varices in mares with hemorrhage into the uterus or from the vulva.
Severe nasal hemorrhage in an anesthetized horse. An 8-year-old Thoroughbred gelding with colic was anesthetized for surgical correction of right dorsal displacement of the ascending colon. Removal of the nasogastric tube at the end of surgery resulted in hemorrhage from the nares and loss of 24 L of blood. Treatment included administration of acetated Ringer's solution, hypertonic saline solution, and dobutamine. A blood transfusion was started after hemorrhage was controlled, and arterial pressure was restored to the prehemorrhage value, but was stopped after infusion of 2.7 L of blood because of a suspected adverse reaction. This case indi...
Very high pressures are required to cause stress failure of pulmonary capillaries in thoroughbred racehorses. Thoroughbred horses develop extremely high pulmonary vascular pressures during galloping, all horses in training develop exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage, and we have shown that this is caused by stress failure of pulmonary capillaries. It is known that the capillary transmural pressure (Ptm) necessary for stress failure is higher in dogs than in rabbits. The present study was designed to determine this value in horses. The lungs from 15 Thoroughbred horses were perfused with autologous blood at Ptm values (midlung) of 25, 50, 75, 100 and 150 mmHg, and then perfusion fixed, and samples (d...
Acute arsenic toxicosis in five horses. Five adult horses presented with acute clinical signs of watery diarrhea, excessive salivation, muscle tremors, ataxia, and depression. Four died within 24 hours and the fifth was euthanatized approximately 48 hours after onset of clinical signs. Necropsy finds in two of the horses included hyperemia of gastric mucosa, intestines filled with green to black watery fluid, and multifocal to coalescing, hemorrhagic 1.0-2.0-cm-diameter ulcers of the mucosa of the cecum and large colon. Histopathologic changes in the cecum and large colon consisted of mucosal necrosis and ulceration, vascular thromb...
Oxidant injury, nitric oxide and pulmonary vascular function: implications for the exercising horse. The athletic ability of the horse is facilitated by vital physiological adaptations to high-intensity exercise, including a thin (but strong) pulmonary blood-gas barrier, a large pulmonary functional reserve capacity and a consequent maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max) far higher than in other species. A high pulmonary artery pressure also serves to enhance pulmonary function, although stress failure of lung capillaries at high pulmonary transmural pressures, and the contribution of other factors which act in the exercising horse to increase pulmonary vascular tone, may lead to pathological or path...
Negative pressure pulmonary edema as a post-anesthetic complication associated with upper airway obstruction in a horse. An 8-year-old Trakehner mare developed fulminant pulmonary edema following suspected upper airway obstruction 50 minutes into an otherwise unremarkable anesthetic recovery after surgery for left cricoarytenoideus dorsalis muscle reinnervation and ventriculocordectomy. Establishing a patent airway by orotracheal reintubation and cardiopulmonary resuscitation attempts were unsuccessful. Gross, histological, and electron microscopic postmortem examination showed severe hemorrhagic pulmonary edema. Laryngeal swelling or hemorrhage were not evident, suggesting laryngospasm or functional airway coll...
Acute small intestinal injury associated with hematomas in the mesentery of four horses. Four horses were evaluated for clinical signs consistent with small intestinal disease. During exploratory surgery, primary hematomas in the mesentery were found in 2 horses. The third horse developed a hematoma secondary to a mesenteric rent, whereas in the fourth horse, a hematoma developed secondary to strangulation of the bowel by a mesenteric lipoma. Two horses were euthanatized at surgery, because the extensive nature of the hematoma precluded ligation and there was substantial risk of continued hemorrhage postoperatively. The remaining horses recovered from surgery but developed complic...
Intracranial hematoma in experienced teenage equestrians. Intracranial hematoma in pediatric equestrians is rare, notwithstanding the lack of uniform standards and requirements for the use of protective headgear during equestrian events. We report two teenage helmeted equestrians who sustained severe head trauma with intracranial hematoma due to falls during equestrian events. Current recommendations for the use of equestrian headgear are reviewed.
Effects of pentoxifylline on hemorheologic alterations induced by incremental treadmill exercise in thoroughbreds. To determine whether pentoxifylline treatment altered hematologic, rheologic, electrolyte, or blood gas test results of Thoroughbreds during submaximal treadmill exercise. Methods: 5 healthy Thoroughbreds that had raced within the past year and had no history of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage. Methods: Mixed venous blood samples were obtained before exercise, at treadmill speeds of 9 and 13 m/s, and 20 minutes after exercise; hematologic, rheologic, electrolyte, and blood gas test results were determined. Results: Pentoxifylline treatment resulted in a 45% reduction in RBC filtration pr...
Rattlesnake venom poisoning in horses: 32 cases (1973-1993). To determine the clinical manifestations, morbidity, mortality, and treatment methods for rattlesnake venom poisoning in horses. Methods: Retrospective analysis of medical records. Methods: 27 horses with acute venom poisoning attributable to prairie rattlesnakes, and 5 with chronic problems subsequent to a rattlesnake bite. Results: Most horses were bitten on or near the muzzle while on pasture, resulting in head swelling, dyspnea, and epistaxis. Additional manifestations of acute poisoning included fever, tachycardia, tachypnea, cardiac arrhythmia, hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, hemorrh...
Effects of furosemide on hemorheologic alterations induced by incremental treadmill exercise in thoroughbreds. To determine whether furosemide treatment altered the blood flow properties and serum and RBC electrolyte concentrations of Thoroughbreds during submaximal treadmill exercise. Methods: Thoroughbreds were subjected to submaximal treadmill exercise with and without treatment with furosemide (1 mg/kg of body weight, IV). Methods: 5 healthy Throughbreds that had raced within the past year and had no history of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage. Methods: Venous blood samples were obtained before exercise, at treadmill speeds of 9 and 13 m/s, and 10 minutes after exercise, and hemorheologic and ...
Effects of hematocrit and erythrocyte deformability on pulmonary vascular pressures in perfused pony lungs. To evaluate the contribution of hematocrit and RBC deformability to pulmonary vascular pressures of racehorses. Methods: Pony lungs were isolated and right and left lungs were perfused separately with blood. The effects of changing hematocrit and of pentoxifylline treatment were evaluated. Methods: 11 healthy mixed-breed ponies. Methods: Ponies were anesthesized, blood was collected, and lungs were removed and perfused with blood at constant flow rate. Results: Increasing the hematocrit from 35% to 65% resulted in increases in pulmonary arterial pressure (53%, 45%), capillary shear stress (45%...
Leukoencephalomalacia and hemorrhage in the brain of rabbits gavaged with mycotoxin fumonisin B1. Two of five pregnant rabbits gavaged with purified fumonisin B1 at 1.75 mg/kg/day died, one after 9 and one after 13 doses. Microscopic examination revealed focal small hemorrhages in cerebral white matter in both animals, with malacia and hemorrhage also present in the hippocampus of one. The lesions were bilateral. Both animals also had marked degeneration of renal tubule epithelium and of hepatocytes. Apoptosis was the dominant degenerative change in kidney and liver. Fumonisin is known to cause leukoencephalomalacia and hemorrhage in equines, but CNS changes associated with exposure to fum...
Repair of a full-thickness gastric rupture in a horse. A 14-year-old Thoroughbred broodmare was evaluated for signs of mild to moderate abdominal pain of 5 hours' duration. Exploratory celiotomy revealed a 20 x 8-cm subserosal hematoma associated with a focal serosal perforation overlying a muscular tear along the parietal surface of the stomach. The odor of intestinal tract gas was detected, but gross contamination of the abdomen was not evident. Concurrent partial volvulus of the small intestine was evident. Removal of the large colon from the abdomen appeared to coincide with propagation of the serosal perforation to a full-thickness gastric re...
Needle aspiration lung biopsy: reevaluation of the blood patch technique in an equine model. To reexamine the blood patch technique in a laboratory model of lung biopsy free of confounding clinical variables. Methods: An equine model of lung biopsy was developed with an excised lobe connected to an insufflation bulb and pressure monitor. Patched and control unpatched punctures were made in the lung surface, and the pressure within the lung was raised to the maximum achievable. Whether air leakage from the puncture sites could be induced was determined and, if so, at what pressure it occurred. Results: At statistical analysis with the Kaplan-Meier test and the Cox proportional hazards ...