Blood transfusion in horses involves the transfer of blood or blood components from a donor horse to a recipient horse, typically to replace lost blood volume or improve oxygen-carrying capacity. This procedure is commonly employed in cases of acute hemorrhage, severe anemia, or certain coagulopathies. Horses have unique blood group systems, and compatibility testing is essential to minimize the risk of transfusion reactions. The major blood groups in horses include A, C, D, K, P, Q, and U, with various alloantigens within these groups. Crossmatching is a critical step to ensure donor-recipient compatibility. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the techniques, indications, and outcomes of blood transfusion in equine medicine, as well as advances in transfusion practices and the management of potential adverse reactions.
Scott AM, Jeffcott LB.Clinical features of haemolytic disease of the newborn foal (HDNF) are reviewed. The state of knowledge concerning the serological factors associated with isoimmunisation of mares and as assessment of the methods available for screening potential "haemolytic mares" are presented. The treatment of severely affected foals has principally involved exchange transfusion but more recently a simple transfusion of mare's packed erythrocytes has proved more successful.
Kallfelz FA, Whitlock RH, Schultz RD.Whole blood containing 59Fe-labeled erythrocytes (RBC) and unlabeled serum was transfused from a donor horse on 2 occasions into each of 6 recipient horses. Survival of transfused cells was monitored in the recipients as a function of time after transfusion by measuring RBC radioactivity in the recipients. After the 1st transfusion, RBC concentration of 59Fe remained at 60% to 100% of the transfused dose for 4 days, after which radioactivity values dropped to less than 10% of the dose by 6 days in 3 horses. In the 3 other horses, RBC radioactivity dropped immediately after transfusion, reachin...
Elfenbein JR, Giguère S, Meyer SK, Javsicas LH, Farina LL, Zimmel DN, Sanchez LC.Hepatic failure is one of the more common complications in foals requiring blood transfusion to treat neonatal isoerythrolysis. Iron intoxication is likely the cause of hepatic injury. Objective: To determine the effects of deferoxamine on iron elimination in normal foals. Methods: Thirteen neonatal foals. Methods: Randomized-controlled trial. At 1-3 days of age, foals received either 3 L of washed packed dam's red blood cells (RBC) or 3 L of saline IV once. Foals were treated with deferoxamine (1 g) or saline (5 mL) SC twice daily for 14 days. Foals were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 gr...
Goldztein S, Carreras Vescio LA, Salamone HJ, Calahonra R, Kohan AI, Sánchez Avalos JC.A 24-year-old male patient with a severe aplastic anemia (SAA) was treated with equine-antilymphocyte globulin (ALG). As complication of this treatment he developed a severe heteroimmune hemolytic anemia mediated by anti-species pan-agglutinin antibodies present in ALG. In spite of the fact that ALG is absorbed with red-cell stroma and platelets to remove anti-erythrocyte and anti-platelet contaminating antibodies, often only partial absorption is achieved, and the remaining antibodies are passively acquired by the recipient. Neutropenia and especially thrombocytopenia are usual complications ...
Boyle AG, Magdesian KG, Ruby RE.To assess data regarding clinical features, clinicopathologic and blood gas variables, and outcome from horse and mule foals with confirmed neonatal isoerythrolysis (NI). Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: 17 horse and 1 mule foals. Methods: Medical records of foals (< 14 days old) with NI were reviewed. Information collected included signalment; clinical examination findings; results of hematologic, serum and plasma biochemical, and venous blood gas analyses and urinalysis; treatments; and outcome. Results: Data from 17 horse foals and 1 mule foal with NI (mean age, 71 hours) were e...
Aida H, Foreman JH, Ochi A, Takizawa Y, Yamanaka T.Equine piroplasmosis is an infectious disease caused by Babesia caballi and Theileria equi. A competition horse that had been imported to the Equestrian Park for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and had a fever over 40°C and severe anemia was diagnosed with equine piroplasmosis by blood smear and direct polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for Theileria equi. Treatment with protozoan anthelmintics and whole blood transfusion diminished the fever, improved the anemia, and allowed the horse to return home safely. Preparation for routine cases of this infection should include the development of a s...
Miglio A, Rocconi F, Cremonini V, D'Alessandro A, Reisz JA, Maslanka M, Lacroix IS, Tiscar G, Di Tommaso M, Antognoni MT.Understanding of the biochemical and morphological lesions associated with storage of equine blood is limited. Objective: To demonstrate the temporal sequences of lipid and metabolic profiles of equine fresh and stored (up to 42 days) and leukoreduced packed red blood cells (LR-pRBC) and non-leukoreduced packed RBC (nLR-pRBC). Methods: Packed RBC units were obtained from 6 healthy blood donor horses enrolled in 2 blood banks. Methods: Observational study. Whole blood was collected from each donor using transfusion bags with a LR filter. Leukoreduction pRBC and nLR-pRBC units were obtained an...
