The coagulation of horse blood

Abstract

Available information about the coagulation of horse blood is contradictory. Soulier & Larrieu (1953) found that horse blood contained clotting factors in concentrations not markedly different from those of human blood. However, Bell, Archer & Tomlin (1955) reported that in horse blood prothrombin and clotting times were prolonged and clot retraction was poor, in spite of platelet counts within normal human limits. They (Bell, Tomlin & Archer, 1955) found that the thromboplastin activity produced by horse blood is far less than that obtained from human blood, and concluded that the blood of normal horses of both sexes was relatively deficient in antihaemophilic factor. On the other hand, from results of thrombin generation tests, Sj0lin (1956) claims to have shown a relative lack of Christmas factor in normal horse plasma, and later he observed (Sj0lin, 1957) that the defective thrombin generation in horse plasma could be improved by either horse or human platelets and concluded that the slow clotting of horse plasma was due to a lack of Hageman factor. Some of the published results would thus indicate that normal horses are bleeders, but an inquiry among those who professionally observe horses during work or sport did not indicate that horses suffered from haemorrhage more than other animals when subjected to comparable trauma.In view of these apparent contradictions it was of interest to investigate the blood coagulation mechanism of the horse, and compare it with that of man. METHODSBlood was obtained from seven horses. One was normally used for the production of diphtheria antitoxin, four were draught horses and two were race horses. Their ages ranged from 2 to 17 years. According to veterinary examination the horses did not suffer from haemorrhagic tendencies or any other disabilities. Blood was obtained from the external jugular vein through a trocar, and was collected with the addition of 'th volume of 0-1 M sodium oxalate. Three horses were several miles from the laboratory and the specimens were transported in an ice box. The four draught horses were bled a few yards from the laboratory and the tests carried out immediately after collection. 'I3PHYSIO. CXLII

Fluid handling by foam wound dressings: From engineering theory to advanced laboratory performance evaluations

“…20 Horse and human sera are similar in terms of the primary structure of albumin, 126 a dominant factor affecting the exudate viscosity as well as in some other circulating plasma proteins, for example, clotting factors and immunoglobulins, but differences do exist, such as in the solubility of human versus horse fibrinogens. 127,128 132. White DARCY'S LAW APPLIED TO WOUND DRESSINGS Darcy's law, which describes the flow of viscous fluids in porous media, is a useful approximation.…”