Bleeders - the facts, fiction and future direction
/By Dr. David Marlin
We are now approaching half a century since Bob Cook pioneered the use of the flexible fibreoptic endoscope, which allowed examination of the respiratory tract in the conscious horse. One of the important outcomes of this technique was that it opened the door to the study of ‘bleeding’ or exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH). But nearly 50 years on the irony is perhaps that whilst we have become good at describing the prevalence of EIPH and some of the factors that appear to increase the severity of EIPH within individual horses, we still lack a clear understanding of the condition and how to manage it. I use the term manage rather than treat or prevent as our knowledge of EIPH must show us that EIPH cannot be stopped entirely; it is a consequence of intense exercise. The other irony is that in the past 50 years, by far the majority of research into the management of EIPH has focussed on the use of the diuretic furosemide. Whilst we have good evidence from controlled studies that furosemide reduces the severity of EIPH on a single occasion, we still lack good evidence to suggest that furosemide is effective when used repeatedly during training and or racing; and there is also evidence to the contrary.
Let’s review some basic facts about EIPH, which should not be contentious.
EIPH is the appearance of blood in the airways associated with exercise.
EIPH occurs as a result of moderate to intense exercise. In fact, EIPH has been found after trotting when deep lung wash (bronchoalveolar lavage or BAL) is done after exercise.
EIPH most often involves the smallest blood vessels (capillaries) but can sometimes and less commonly be due to the rupture of larger blood vessels.
The smallest blood vessels are extremely thin. Around 1/100th the thickness of a human hair. But this extremely thin membrane is also what allows racehorses such as thoroughbreds, standardbreds and Arabs to use oxygen at such a high rate and is a major reason for their athleticism.
EIPH is a progressive condition. The chance of seeing blood in the trachea after exercise increases with time in racing.
EIPH is variable over time, even when horses are scoped after the same type of work.
If you ‘scope a horse after three gallops in a row, you can expect to see blood in the trachea on at least one occasion.
EIPH damage to the lungs starts at the back and top, and over time moves forward and down and is approximately symmetrical.
Following EIPH the lung becomes fibrotic (as scar tissue), stiffer and does not work as well. The iron from the blood is combined with protein and stored permanently in the lung tissue where it can cause inflammation.
High blood pressure within the lung is a contributing factor in EIPH. Horses with higher blood pressure appear to suffer worse EIPH.
There is also evidence that upper airway resistance and breathing pattern can play a role in EIPH.
Airway inflammation and poor air quality may increase the severity of EIPH within individual horses.
Increasing severity of EIPH appears to have an increasing negative effect on performance.
Visible bleeding (epistaxis) has a very clear and marked negative effect on performance.
In order to make progress in the management of EIPH (i.e., to minimise the severity of EIPH in each individual), there are certain steps that trainers can take based on the information we have to date.
These include:
Ensuring good air quality in stables
Regular respiratory examination and treatment of airway inflammation
Reduced intensity of training during periods of treatment for moderate to severe airway inflammation
Extended periods of rest and light work with a slower return to work for horses following viral infection
Addressing anything that increases upper airway resistance (e.g., roaring, gurgling)
Avoiding intense work in cold weather
Avoiding extremes of going
Limiting number of training days in race preparation and increasing interval between races
Endoscopy
FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES IN UNDERSTANDING AND MANAGING EIPH
We have to accept EIPH as a normal consequence of intense exercise in horses. Our aim should be to reduce the severity to a minimum in each individual horse. However, there are areas in which we still need a much greater scientific understanding.
What actually causes the capillaries to leak or rupture?…