"If we're here, it's only because we have no money…" discrimination and violence in Mexican maternity wards.

Background: Structural and gender violence in Mexico take on various forms, obstetric violence among them. The objective of our study consisted in analyzing experiences of structural and gender discrimination against women during childbirth care at two public hospitals in Mexico.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional mixed methods study including a survey of closed questions administered to all women who received health care for vaginal or cesarean childbirth at two public hospitals from May 7 to June 7, 2012 (N = 512).

Evaluation of an oral direct factor Xa inhibitor anticoagulant in healthy adult horses.

Objective: To assess whether an oral direct factor Xa inhibitor (DiXaI) anticoagulant drug used at the low end of the recommended dose in people achieves presumed prophylactic plasma concentrations and does not induce bleeding in horses.

Design: Experimental study.

Setting: Field study.

Community resilience and Chagas disease in a rural region of Mexico.

Objective: To explore the pillars of community resilience in a region where Chagas disease is endemic, with the aim of promoting participatory processes to deal with this condition from the resilience of the population.

Methods: Qualitative study using ethnographic record and six interviews of focus groups with young people, women and men. The research was carried out in a rural area of the state of Morelos, Mexico, between 2006 and 2007.

Progression of plasma D-dimer concentration and coagulopathies during hospitalization in horses with colic.

Objective: To assess the progression of plasma D-dimer concentrations and coagulation status in horses with different types of colic.

Design: Prospective clinical observational study performed between March 2004 and September 2008.

Setting: Veterinary university teaching hospital.

Metabolic and endocrine profiles in sick neonatal foals are related to survival.

Background: Sick neonatal foals suffer from a variety of endocrine and metabolic derangements that may be related to outcome. There are several hepatic and lipid metabolism blood markers that have never been assessed in neonatal foals.

Objectives: Assess panel of endocrine and metabolic variables in group of sick and healthy neonatal foals in order to describe their relationship with diagnosis and survival.

Aqueous humor fibrinolytic activity in dogs with cataracts.

Objective: To investigate fibrinolytic activity in aqueous humor (AH) of healthy and sick dogs, with and without cataracts.

Procedure: Prospective observational clinical study. A total of 45 dogs were included in the study.

Effects of ovariohysterectomy on intra-abdominal pressure and abdominal perfusion pressure in cats.

Intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) and abdominal perfusion pressure (APP) have shown clinical relevance in monitoring critically ill human beings submitted to abdominal surgery. Only a few studies have been performed in veterinary medicine. The aim of this study was to assess how pregnancy and abdominal surgery may affect IAP and APP in healthy cats.

Synovial fluid D-dimer concentration in horses with osteochondritis dissecans and osteoarthritis.

Objective: To assess the synovial fibrinolytic pathway activation in adult horses with developmental and degenerative arthropathies such as osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) and osteoarthritis (OA) by measuring synovial D-dimer concentrations.

Methods: Prospective observational clinical study of horses admitted for OCD or OA. Synovial fluid was collected during lameness examination or prior to the surgical procedure, and D-dimer concentration and routine synovial fluid analysis were performed.

Fibrinolytic activity in cerebrospinal fluid of dogs with different neurological disorders.

Background: Fibrinolytic activity in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is activated in humans by different pathologic processes.

Objectives: To investigate fibrinolytic activity in the CSF of dogs with neurological disorders by measuring CSF D-dimer concentrations.

Animals: One hundred and sixty-nine dogs with neurological disorders, 7 dogs with systemic inflammatory diseases without central nervous system involvement (SID), and 7 healthy Beagles were included in the study.

Clinical findings in 10 foals with bacterial meningoencephalitis.

Reasons For Performing The Study: Bacterial meningoencephalitis is a severe complication in septic foals and there is scarce and often unclear information in the equine literature.

Objectives: To report the most frequent clinical signs, clinicopathological findings, causative agents, treatments given and outcome of a group of foals with confirmed bacterial meningoencephalitis.

Methods: Foals aged < 6 months of age admitted to the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (2004-2009) with confirmed bacterial meningoencephalitis were retrospectively included in the study Diagnosis of bacterial meningoencephalitis was made by cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culture, CSF analysis consistent with bacterial infection, observation of bacteria in CSF cytology or postmortem confirmation.

Energy expenditure of critically ill neonatal foals.

Reasons For Performing Study: Nutritional support in critically ill neonatal foals is of great importance given their high metabolic rate and minimal stores of energy and protein. Nutrient requirements of healthy growing foals have been estimated based on daily milk intake; however, little is known about the resting energy expenditure (REE) of sick foals.

Objectives: To determine REE in critically ill neonatal foals (sepsis and/or hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy [HIE] and compare this with REE in control foals.

Neutrophilic myeloperoxidase index and mean light absorbance in neonatal septic and nonseptic foals.

Background: Two neutrophilic indices reported by the ADVIA 120 Hematology Analyzer, neutrophilic myeloperoxidase index (MPXI), and mean light absorbance (neutrophil X mean [NXM]) have been proposed as indicators of systemic inflammatory disease in horses and of neutrophil activation in coronary ischemic syndromes in people.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate NXM and MPXI in healthy, sick nonseptic, and sick septic foals to determine whether conditions likely associated with neutrophil activation result in decreases in these variables.

Methods: In this retrospective study, CBC data from 61 neonatal foals presented to the Equine Teaching Hospital of Barcelona were evaluated for correlations between MPXI, NXM, percentage of large unstained cells, neutrophil count, and percentage of band neutrophils.

Synovial fluid D-dimer concentration in foals with septic joint disease.

Background: Increased synovial fibrinolytic activity (detected by increases in synovial D-Dimer concentrations) has been observed in different joint diseases in humans and adult horses, presumably in order to minimize fibrin deposition within the joint and thus avoid its detrimental effects.

Objective: To investigate fibrinolytic pathway activation in joint sepsis in foals by measuring synovial D-Dimer concentrations.

Animals: Eighteen septic foals with septic joints, 9 septic foals without septic joints, 9 systemically healthy foals with septic joint, and 3 controls are included.

Coagulation profiles of healthy Andalusian donkeys are different than those of healthy horses.

Background: Coagulation disorders are frequently diagnosed, especially in hospitalized equidae, and result in increased morbidity and mortality. However, hemostatic reference intervals have not been established for donkeys yet.

Objectives: To determine whether the most common coagulation parameters used in equine practice are different between healthy donkeys and horses.

Acid-base imbalances during a 120 km endurance race compared by traditional and simplified strong ion difference methods.

Reasons For Performing Study: Acid-base disturbances are traditionally assessed using the Henderson-Hasselbach equation. The simplified strong ion approach describes more accurately the complex acid-base and electrolyte abnormalities present in endurance horses.

Objective: To describe acid-base and electrolytes changes in fit horses competing in a FEI*** 120 km endurance race and to compare the traditional vs.

Association between hypercoagulability and decreased survival in horses with ischemic or inflammatory gastrointestinal disease.

Background: Coagulopathies are common in horses with ischemic or inflammatory gastrointestinal (GI) disturbances. There is indirect evidence suggesting that early stages of these diseases are characterized by hypercoagulability (HC).

Hypothesis/objectives: HC, assessed via thromboelastography (TEG), is common in horses with ischemic or inflammatory GI diseases.

The secretory mechanisms in equine platelets are independent of cytoskeletal polymerization and occur through membrane fusion.

Studies in animal models are useful to understand the basic mechanisms involved in hemostasis and the functional differences among species. Ultrastructural observations led us to predict differences in the activation and secretion mechanisms between equine and human platelets. The potential mechanisms involved have been comparatively explored in the present study.

Association of admission plasma D-dimer concentration with diagnosis and outcome in horses with colic.

Background: Coagulopathies detected in horses with gastrointestinal problems seem to be associated with poor outcome. Plasma D-Dimer concentration is a sensitive test for assessing coagulopathies.

Hypothesis: Plasma D-Dimer concentration tested on admission is related to diagnosis and outcome in horses with colic.

Low-molecular-weight heparin dosage in newborn foals.

Background: Heparin is used in humans as prophylaxis of hypercoagulable states and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). However, babies need a higher heparin dose than do adults. Septic neonate foals are at high risk of hypercoagulable state and DIC, and there is limited objective information about heparin dose for equine neonates.

Enteral fluid therapy in 108 horses with large colon impactions and dorsal displacements.

To assess the effect of enteral fluid therapy (EFT) in horses with colic, 78 adult horses with colon impactions and 30 with left dorsal colon displacements received an isotonic electrolyte solution via a nasogastric tube at a rate of 8 to 10 l every two hours until resolution of clinical signs. Clinical progression was monitored closely, and plasma biochemistry was evaluated before, during and after treatment. Volume of fluids, time to resolution, and outcome were also recorded.

Uveal inflammation in septic newborn foals.

Background: Septicemia in humans is described as a leading cause of uveitis, which eventually can induce blindness.

Hypothesis/objectives: Uveal inflammatory findings could be related to sepsis severity in newborn foals and might be used as an indirect indicator for survival.

Animals: Seventy-four septic foals, 54 nonseptic foals, and 42 healthy foals.

Multicentre, controlled, randomised and blinded field study comparing efficacy of suxibuzone and phenylbutazone in lame horses.

Reasons For Performing Study: In horses, it has been demonstrated that suxibuzone (SBZ) has a lower gastric ulcerogenic effect than phenylbutazone (PBZ). However, no field trials have been reported comparing the efficacy of the drugs in alleviating lameness.

Objectives: To compare the therapeutic effect of SBZ to that of PBZ when administered orally in lame horses.