Dr David Marlin wants to share his thoughts on Vitamin K injections and their use with the expectation that they will reduce Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage (EIPH).
Dr David Marlin states:
“Anecdotally, many trainers are using Vitamin K injections in the belief that it will reduce EIPH. There’s no evidence Vitamin K injections will help reduce EIPH. EIPH is not a clotting disorder. It’s a pressure-related trauma. The only thing that has been shown to consistently reduce EIPH is blood pressure reduction, either by diuretics (Lasix) or blood removal or by reducing airway pressures (nasal strips). It might conceivably help with recovery after bleeding has occurred if large blood vessels are involved but most bleeding comes from the smallest capillaries and bleeding here is not stopped by clotting, only by pressure reduction (as the horse stops exercising) and the micro-breaks in capillaries close up.”
The DrDavidMarlin.com website has more information on this condition:
Article – Bleeder Facts, Fiction, and Future Direction – Click here
Article – Lung Bleeding (EIPH) in horses – It’s Not Only Racehorses! Click here
