1. The effect of low dose heparin therapy on complication and survival rates in horses following exploratory celiotomy
- Author
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M. D. Markel, D. R. Young, and Dean W. Richardson
- Subjects
Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Gastrointestinal Diseases ,Injections, Subcutaneous ,medicine.medical_treatment ,Anastomosis ,Enterotomy ,Placebo ,Postoperative Complications ,Double-Blind Method ,Heart Rate ,Abdomen ,medicine ,Animals ,Large intestine ,Horses ,Prospective Studies ,Prospective cohort study ,Saline ,Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ,Heparin ,business.industry ,Anticoagulants ,General Medicine ,Surgery ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Creatinine ,Female ,Horse Diseases ,Complication ,business ,medicine.drug - Abstract
A randomised, blind prospective study was performed to evaluate effects of low dose heparin therapy on complication and survival rates in 33 horses following exploratory celiotomy. Four horses had non-strangulating lesions and seven had strangulating lesions of the small intestine, 19 had non-strangulating lesions of the large intestine, and three had duodenitis-proximal jejunitis. Eighteen required an enterotomy or intestinal resection and anastomosis. Sixteen received heparin subcutaneously (66 iu/kg every 12 h) post operatively and 17 received a saline placebo for a mean of 3.7 days. There was a significant (P < 0.01) mean decrease in PCV (29.1 per cent) in the heparin group. No significant differences in complication or survival rates were seen between groups. Long term follow-up was obtained for 10 horses in each group. There were no significant differences between groups.
- Published
- 1989
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