Use of an absorbable haemostatic gauze product to control bleeding in 20 horses

The objective of this study was to report our experience with an absorbable haemostatic gauze product in 20 horses with traumatic or surgical haemorrhage. The product is made from oxidised, regenerated cellulose (ORC) and is approved for external use and currently being studied to control internal bleeding in surgical settings in human subjects. Treated horses were from both practice and university settings. Signalment, anatomic location, underlying cause of bleeding and outcome were recorded in the medical record. The size of gauze, approximate time until bleeding stopped, and pre- and post-ORC adjunctive treatments were also recorded. The ORC was used in a variety of anatomic locations, including castration site, foot, flank incisions, distal limb, tooth extraction sites and the perineal region. The bleeding stopped or slowed dramatically within 90 s in 15 of 20 cases. There were no recorded complications in any of the cases. While this clinical report does not attempt to prove efficacy of the product in horses, it does show that this ORC product, which has been approved for use as a haemostatic agent in human subjects, is safe and of practical value, and may be a useful and viable option for the control of haemorrhage in a variety of equine clinical settings.