Retrospective Analysis of Epistaxis Associated with Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage in Thoroughbred Race Horses in Korea

Abstract

This study was to investigate the frequency and risk factors of epistaxis associated with Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage (EIPH) in racing Thoroughbred horses at Seoul Race Park, South Korea, from 1996-2007. Epistaxis related to EIPH occurred in 752 (0.51%) horses of the 146,297 race starts. Of the 752 horses, 65 (8.6%) had a single recurrence and 9 (1.1%) had 2 recurrences. There was a tendency to higher frequency of bleeding at older (≥7, 0.88%) in age, female (0.56%) in sex, USA (0.77%) in origin, Autumn (0.62%) in season and 1,700-2,000 m (0.67%) in distance. Relationship did not exist between bleeding and respiratory diseases. About 624 (83%) race horses with epistaxis were an also-ran in performance. These results may provide the basic information needed to establish strategies for the prevention of epistaxis related to EIPH in race horses is associated with the age, sex and racing distance in Korea.