Léguillette R, Steinmann M, Bond SL, Stanton B. Tracheobronchoscopic Assessment of Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage and Airway Inflammation in Barrel Racing Horses.
J Vet Intern Med 2016;
30:1327-32. [PMID:
27278854 PMCID:
PMC5089608 DOI:
10.1111/jvim.13959]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2015] [Revised: 02/22/2016] [Accepted: 04/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background
Poor performance is often suspected to be associated with EIPH in barrel racing horses; however, there are no published reports of EIPH for this discipline. The prevalence of EIPH in barrel racing horses is also unknown.
Objectives
This study was performed to determine the prevalence of EIPH and signs of airway inflammation in barrel racing horses under normal racing conditions in Alberta.
Animals
About 170 barrel racing horses.
Methods
Observational cross‐sectional study. Tracheobronchoscopic examinations were performed at least 30 minutes postrace. Video recordings were scored off‐site independently by two observers for EIPH and tracheal mucus accumulation (TMA). Horses with an EIPH score ≥2 were not assessed for TMA. Interobserver agreement was calculated by weighted κ statistics. Run times, environmental variables, and clinical information were also recorded for analysis.
Results
77/170 (45.3%) of horses examined showed evidence of EIPH (grade ≥ 1). Interobserver agreement was 0.94. 140/141 (99.3%) of horses assessed for TMA showed evidence of tracheal mucus accumulation (grade ≥ 1) with 104/141 (73.8%) having a TMA score ≥ 2. Interobserver agreement was 0.73. A weak positive association was found between EIPH scores and average run speed, the presence of cough at rest reported by the riders, increased recovery time, exercise intolerance, and outdoor pattern.
Conclusions and clinical importance
The high prevalence of EIPH observed in the sampled population indicates that barrel racing induces substantial stress on the lungs. The presence of EIPH did not impact negatively on performance. Factors such as environmental dust and frequent traveling might have contributed to the high prevalence of TMA observed.
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