Association between exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage and performance in Thoroughbred racehorses.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) was associated with racing performance inThoroughbred horses not medicated with furosemide and not using nasal dilator strips.


METHODS
Observational cross-sectional study.


METHODS
744 two- to 10-year-old Thoroughbred horses racing in Melbourne, Australia.


METHODS
Horses were enrolled prior to racing, and a tracheobronchoscopic examination was performed after 1 race. Examinations were recorded on videotape, and presence and severity (grade 0 to 4) of EIPH were subsequently determined by 3 observers blinded to the horses' identity. Race records were abstracted for each horse examined.


RESULTS
Overall, 52.1% of horses eligible for participation in the study were examined, and horses that were examined did not differ from horses that were not examined in regard to age, sex distribution, or proportion of horses that won or finished in the first 3 positions. Horses with EIPH grades < 1 were 4.0 times as likely to win, 1.8 times as likely to finish in the first 3 positions, and 3.03 times as likely to be in the 90th percentile or higher for race earnings as were horses with grades > 2. Horses with EIPH grades > 1 finished significantly farther behind the winner than did horses without EIPH. However, odds that horses with grade 1 EIPH would win or finish in the first 3 positions were not significantly different from odds for horses without EIPH.


CONCLUSIONS
Results suggest that EIPH is associated with impaired performance in Thoroughbred racehorses not medicated with furosemide and not using nasal dilator strips.
Hinchcliff
Kenneth W
KW
Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
Jackson
Melissa A
MA
Morley
Paul S
PS
Brown
James A
JA
Dredge
Anthony E
AE
O'Callaghan
Paul A
PA
McCaffrey
John P
JP
Slocombe
Ronald E
RE
Clarke
Andrew E
AE
D000818:Animals; D001999:Bronchoscopy / Q000662:veterinary; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006736:Horses; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014743:Videotape Recording