Comparison of two blood sampling techniques for the determination of coagulation parameters in the horse: Jugular venipuncture and indwelling intravenous catheter.

Summary

# Editorial Summary Accurate coagulation assessment forms a cornerstone of equine critical care management, yet repeated jugular venipuncture for serial monitoring carries practical drawbacks including patient stress, vessel trauma, and time constraints—prompting Mackenzie and colleagues to investigate whether blood sampling directly from indwelling intravenous catheters could provide reliable results without compromising diagnostic accuracy. The researchers compared coagulation parameters (including activated partial thromboplastin time, prothrombin time, fibrinogen, and platelet count) obtained simultaneously from jugular venipuncture and IVC sampling in hospitalised horses, examining whether catheter-derived samples exhibited the artefactual changes previously suspected. Results demonstrated no clinically significant difference between the two sampling methods, validating the use of indwelling catheters for coagulation monitoring and substantially reducing the need for additional venipuncture procedures. This finding has important implications for equine practitioners: catheter sampling reduces stress and iatrogenic injury in already compromised patients, improves efficiency of critical care protocols, and removes a significant barrier to frequent coagulation monitoring in hospitalised horses requiring close haemostatic surveillance.

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Key Findings

• •Study compares accuracy of coagulation parameters obtained via jugular venipuncture versus indwelling intravenous catheter sampling in horses
• •Addresses clinical concern that IVC sampling may compromise result accuracy compared to direct venipuncture
• •Findings support potential use of IVC sampling to reduce patient stress and vessel trauma from repeated blood draws

Conditions Studied

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