Disseminated intravascular coagulation in experimental intestinal strangulation obstruction in ponies.

This research tested the effects of severe intestinal obstruction in ponies. It found that a total of six hours of obstruction caused significant blood coagulation problems and severe intestinal damage, while shorter periods of two to four hours did not have the same damaging effects.

Experimental Design

• The study design involved the induction of total obstruction of a specific part of the intestine (the caudal part of the jejunum) in three groups of horses (3 horses in each). The three groups were subjected to the obstruction for 2, 4, and 6 hours respectively.
• Tests were done to check the coagulation status of the horses’ blood, including platelet counts, prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, activated coagulation time, plasma fibrinogen level, and analysis of fibrin/fibrinogen degradation products.
• These tests were done at various intervals for a week or up until the death of the animal. An additional group of horses were treated similarly but did not undergo intestinal obstruction – these were the controls.
• Necropsy was performed on the tested animals after the experiments.

Findings

• Six hours of induced intestinal obstruction resulted in serious ischemic damage to the intestines, as shown by hemorrhagic infarction and/or perforation in the horses that died, and complete loss of mucosa with moderate to severe fibrosis of the intestinal wall in the surviving horse.
• Associated with this damage were remarkable coagulation issues, such as prolonged prothrombin and activated partial thromboplastin times, decreased platelet count, and high fibrin/fibrinogen degradation product levels, indicating disseminated intravascular coagulation (the formation of blood clots in small blood vessels throughout the body).
• In contrast, the intestinal sections of the horses that only underwent obstruction for 2 or 4 hours showed no notable coagulation changes and were found to be viable via histopathologic examination.
• These findings suggest that a long period of intestinal obstruction can cause serious damage and possibly lead to disseminated intravascular coagulation.

Conclusion

• This research contributes significant insights into the effects of severe intestinal obstruction in animals. It demonstrates a link between extended obstruction and coagulation abnormalities, which could be instrumental in understanding similar conditions in other animals or potentially in humans.