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.     

Stimulated esophageal groove closure in adult goats

In healthy adult goats, closure of the esophageal groove was induced by thirst, IV administered vasopressin, and intracarotid administration of hypertonic NaCl solutions. The efficiency of stimulation was tested directly by visual inspection of the course taken by orally administered solutions through a ruminal or abomasal fistula, palpation of the lips of the esophageal groove through a ruminal fistula, and indirectly by following the glucose dynamics in the blood after oral administration of glucose solution. Esophageal groove closure was observed during drinking after a 48-hour period of water deprivation. Intracarotid administration of 1.5 ml of a saturated solution or 10.5 ml of a 1.5% solution of NaCl also stimulated groove closure; however, groove closure stimulated by administration of vasopressin is the most satisfactory procedure for passing compounds of therapeutic importance directly from the cardiac orifice to the abomasum.     

Neodymium:yttrium, aluminum, and garnet laser energy delivered transsclerally to the ciliary body of dogs

Using a hand-held optical fiber, a surgical neodymium:yttrium, aluminum, and garnet laser was used transsclerally on the left ciliary body of 25 dogs. Dogs were assigned to groups and were given low (100 J) and high (238 J) energy levels. In 12 dogs given 100-J energy, the intraocular pressure decreased a mean value of 6 mm of Hg below that in the untreated right eye. However, intraocular pressure returned to the pretreatment value 1 week after treatment. Intraocular lesions were not found by histologic examination 28 days later. In the second group of 13 dogs treated with 238-J energy, 6 were euthanatized 7 days after treatment and 7 were euthanatized 28 days after treatment. A mean decrease in intraocular pressure of 10 mm of Hg in the treated left eye, relative to the untreated right eye, persisted throughout the evaluation period. In eyes examined histologically 7 days after treatment, ciliary hemorrhage and necrosis were prominent. Other histologic changes were minimal and consisted principally of iris stromal hemorrhage. Of 7 dogs examined for 28 days after treatment, 6 remained sighted; in 1 dog, extensive intraocular hemorrhage occurred, eventually resulting in phthisis bulbi. Ciliary atrophy and fibrosis were the important histologic lesions observed 28 days after treatment. Laser energy delivered transsclerally by this optical system effectively induced ciliary necrosis and may be an effective treatment for canine glaucoma.