1,721,011 research outputs found
Presumptive vagally-mediated atrial flutter in a dog
No full text: An asymptomatic nine-year-old Dobermann Pinscher underwent a screening for dilated cardiomyopathy. Echocardiography revealed left ventricular eccentric hypertrophy and systolic dysfunction; the rest of the echocardiographic parameters were within normal limits. Holter monitoring demonstrated sinus rhythm as the dominant cardiac rhythm during the first hours of the recording. Then, during a period of physiologically enhanced vagal tone (sleep), spontaneous development of atrial flutter (AFL) associated with variable ventricular response was documented. Alternation between AFL and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation was also observed. Subsequently, during a period of physiological increase of sympathetic tone (physical activity/excitement), spontaneous conversion of AFL to sinus rhythm occurred. In light of these findings, a presumptive diagnosis of vagal AFL was made. The images here described allow us to study the onset, behavior and termination of this intriguing electrocardiographic entity
Corrigendum to ‘Presumptive vagally-mediated atrial flutter in a dog’ [J Vet Cardiol (2022) 39, 46–50]
No full textN.A
Cor triatriatum sinister in a dog
Full text linkThis report describes the transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiographic features of cor triatriatum sinister in an asymptomatic 6-year-old male French bulldog. Although cor triatriatum sinister represents a well-known and widely described cardiac malformation in humans, its description in the canine population is rare. In this clinical case, non-invasive echocardiographic techniques were helpful in visualizing and characterizing the lesion, allowing a valuable assessment of the malformation, and its hemodynamic consequences
Preexcitation alternans in a dog
Full text linkPreexcitation alternans and orthodromic atrioventricular reciprocating tachycardia were diagnosed in a 3-month-old Boxer. The images described here show how conventional electrocardiographic techniques (12-lead surface electrocardiography, 24-hour Holter monitoring, and ladder diagram) can be interpreted to gain detailed information on presence of canine atrioventricular accessory pathways and their conduction properties
Effect of pimobendan on left atrial function: an echocardiographic pilot study in 11 healthy cats
No full textObjectives: – To evaluate the effect of a single dose of pimobendan on left atrial (LA) function in healthy cats. Animals: – Eleven client owned healthy cats. Material and methods: – Standardized and repeated echocardiographic examinations were performed on healthy and conscious cats before and after a single dose of orally administered pimobendan (1.25 mg/cat). Left atrial systolic functional parameters were assessed. Results: – Some of the tested parameters of LA function showed significant improvement after pimobendan administration, whereas no significant effect on left ventricular function was observed. In particular, LA minimal diameters obtained from M-mode images in short (p=0.018) and long (p=0.009) axis reduced after pimobendan administration, whereas LA fractional shortening from short (p=0.027) and long (p=0.042) axis and LA appendage emptying velocity (p<0.001) significantly increased. A mild increase in heart rate (p=0.001), and a transient increase on the peak systolic wave pulmonary vein velocity (p=0.008) were also recorded as a possible effect. Conclusions: – A single dose of pimobendan appears to impact LA function in healthy cats. However, because of the small number of cats included, and the absence of a placebo group, these results cannot be definitively separated from the effect of time. Additional studies are needed to understand if similar effects are observed in cats with cardiomyopathy and LA dilatation
Two-dimensional, M-mode, and Doppler echocardiography in 22 conscious and apparently healthy pet guinea pigs
No full textObjectives: The objective of this study was to report normal echocardiographic values in healthy guinea pigs. Animals, materials, and methods: Twenty-two privately owned, apparently healthy, conscious guinea pigs underwent complete transthoracic echocardiography. Left ventricular (LV), right ventricular, left atrial, and aortic root dimensions were measured, as were forward flow velocities across the mitral, aortic, and pulmonic valves. The effects of age, body weight, sex, and heart rate on these variables were also investigated. Results: The median age (interquartile range) was 3.0 (1.8–4.0) years with a body weight of 902 (822–998) grams. Echocardiography was feasible in all conscious animals. Early and late diastolic transmitral flow waves were summated in 17 of 22 individuals. In the remaining five animals, the two waves were reversed (E wave-to-A wave velocity less than 1.0). A positive correlation was detected between body weight and LV internal diameter at end-diastole and end-systole and left atrial diameter (P < .05). Heart rate was negatively correlated with LV internal diameter at end-systole (r = −.463, P = .035). Age was positively correlated with LV posterior wall thickness at end-diastole and aortic diameter (P < .05). LV internal diameter at end-systole was larger in males than in females (P = .012), while fractional shortening was lower (P = .008). Conclusions: Descriptive echocardiography ranges in apparently healthy awake guinea pigs have been provided and can be used for cardiac assessment in these pet animals
Effect of a single dose of pimobendan on right ventricular and right atrial function in 11 healthy cats
No full textObjectives: The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of pimobendan on echocardiographic parameters of right ventricular and atrial function in healthy cats. Animals: Eleven privately owned, healthy adult cats. Material and methods: Each cat underwent five echocardiographic examinations: the first and second examinations were performed 1 h apart on day 0. On day 1, the third examination served as baseline, whereas the fourth and fifth examinations were performed one and 6 h after administration of a single oral dose of pimobendan (1.25 mg/cat), respectively. Parameters of right ventricular and atrial morphology and function were collected and compared among time points. Results: Pimobendan administration produced a change in some echocardiographic variables. Specifically, heart rate, right ventricular fractional shortening and peak velocity of systolic lateral tricuspid annular motion increased (P = 0.032, P = 0.002 and P < 0.001, respectively), whereas right ventricular end-systolic internal diameter and right atrial maximum and minimum internal diameters decreased (P = 0.004, P = 0.025 and P = 0.01, respectively). Right ventricular fractional area change and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion did not change. Conclusions: This novel study showed that pimobendan had positive effects on right ventricular and right atrial function in healthy cats. Further studies are needed to determine whether pimobendan has similar effects in cats with cardiac diseases
Diagnostic and prognostic utility of surface electrocardiography in cats with left ventricular hypertrophy
No full textObjectives: To assess the ability of electrocardiography (ECG) to predict left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in the cat and to investigate the prognostic value of selected ECG variables in cats with LVH. Animals: Fifty-seven privately owned cats: 22 clinically healthy cats and 35 cats with LVH. Material and methods: This is a clinical cohort study. Echocardiographic diagnosis and surface ECG were available. Electrocardiography analysis included rhythm diagnosis and specific electrocardiographic measurements. In cats with LVH, cause of death and outcome data were recorded and analyzed using Kaplan–Meier curves. Results: The presence of arrhythmia had sensitivity and specificity of 31% and 100%, respectively, for identifying LVH. Among ECG measurements, duration of QT interval (QT) and QT interval corrected for heart rate (QTc) was statistically different between healthy cats and cats with LVH (p = 0.007). Overall, the most accurate cutoffs to identify LVH were QT > 170 ms (sensitivity and specificity 48.3% and 91%, respectively) and QTc > 188 ms (sensitivity and specificity 62% and 77%, respectively). In healthy cats, the highest QT and QTc values were 180 ms and 200 ms, respectively. Mean survival time was 58 days and indeterminable for cats with QT > 180 ms and QT ≤ 180 ms, respectively (p = 0.042) and 125 days and indeterminable for cats with QTc > 200 ms and QTc ≤ 200 ms, respectively (p = 0.017). Conclusions: Arrhythmias as well as prolonged QT and QTc are useful ECG parameters in identifying LVH and predicting survival in affected cats
Lorenz plot analysis in dogs with sinus rhythm and tachyarrhythmias
Full text linkThe Lorenz plot (LP), a graphical representation of heart rate variability, has been poorly studied in dogs to date. The present study aimed to describe the graphic features of LP in dogs with sinus rhythm (SR) and tachyarrhythmias, and to analyze the usefulness of its pattern recognition. One hundred and nineteen canine Holter recordings were retrospectively evaluated. Cardiac rhythms were classified as: SR; SR with frequent (>100) premature ectopies (atrial, SR-APCs; ventricular, SR-VPCs; atrial and ventricular, SR-APCs-VPCs); atrial fibrillation (AF); and AF with frequent VPCs (AF-VPCs). Lorenz plots were studied qualitatively and quantitatively, and classified by distinct LP patterns (LPPs). Repeatability and reproducibility of LPP classification and diagnostic value were determined. Recordings included: 48 SR, 9 SR-APCs, 35 SR-VPCs, 5 SR-APCs-VPCs, 4 AF, and 18 AF-VPCs. Ten LPPs were identified: comet (n = 12), torpedo (n = 3), Y-shaped (n = 6), diamond (n = 10), diamond with a central silent zone (n = 17), double side-lobe (DSL) (n = 47), triple side-lobe (n = 1), quadruple side-lobe (n = 2), fan (n = 18), and fan with DSL (n = 3). Repeatability and reproducibility of LPP classification were excellent. The DSL pattern was both highly sensitive (91.3%) and specific (94.5%) for SR with frequent premature ectopies, either APCs, or VPCs, or both. The remaining LPPs had lower diagnostic value (high specificity but low sensitivity). Distinct rhythms imprint distinct and reproducible LPPs in dogs. The majority of canine LPPs are specific but insensitive indicators of SR and tachyarrhythmias
Echocardiographic predictors of first onset of atrial fibrillation in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease
Full text linkBackground: Atrial fibrillation (AF) occurs in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) as a consequence of left atrial (LA) dilatation, and it affects survival and quality of life. Objectives: To evaluate the usefulness of echocardiography in predicting the first occurrence of AF in dogs with MMVD. Animals: Forty-four client-owned dogs with MMVD, 22 dogs that developed AF, and 22 dogs that maintained sinus rhythm. Methods: Retrospective observational study. Medical databases were reviewed for dogs that developed AF during the year after diagnosis of MMVD (AF group). The last echocardiographic examination obtained while still in sinus rhythm was used to derive selected variables. For each dog with AF, a control dog matched for body weight, class of heart failure, and LA dimension was selected. Echocardiographic results including LA volumes and LA speckle tracking echocardiography (STE)-derived variables were measured. Results: Among the tested echocardiographic variables, only LA diameter (P =.03) and left ventricular internal diameter in diastole (P =.03) differed significantly between groups, whereas body weight-indexed variables of cardiac dimension as well as LA volumes and volume-derived functional variables were not different. Among the STE-derived variables, peak atrial longitudinal strain (PALS) results differed significantly between the AF group (23.8% ± 8.6%) and the control group (30.5% ± 9.6%; P =.03). A value of PALS ≤28% predicted AF occurrence with sensitivity and specificity of 0.80 and 0.65, respectively. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Absolute cardiac diameters and LA STE (in particular, PALS) are useful echocardiographic predictors for the development of AF in dogs with MMVD
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