Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Long-term nerve stimulation controls heart rate in dogs with atrial
By Zhang, Youhua et al.·Published in Circulation·2005·Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Chronic atrioventricular nodal vagal stimulation: first evidence for long-term ventricular rate control in canine atrial fibrillation model.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 18 dogs with atrial fibrillation (AF), a heart condition that causes an irregular heartbeat, underwent a new treatment involving a nerve stimulator implanted near the heart. This device delivered gentle electrical signals to help slow down the heart rate, which averaged a reduction of about 45 beats per minute over five weeks. The dogs showed improvement in heart function without any signs of discomfort or distress. This approach may offer a long-term solution for managing heart rates in dogs with AF, providing an alternative to traditional treatments.
People also search for: dog atrial fibrillation treatment · heart rate control in dogs · nerve stimulator for dog heart problems
Abstract
BACKGROUND: We have previously demonstrated that selective atrioventricular nodal (AVN) vagal stimulation (AVN-VS) can be used to control ventricular rate during atrial fibrillation (AF) in acute experiments. However, it is not known whether this approach could provide a long-term treatment in conscious animals. Thus, this study reports the first observations on the long-term efficacy and safety of this novel approach to control ventricular rate during AF in chronically instrumented dogs. METHODS AND RESULTS: In 18 dogs, custom-made bipolar patch electrodes were sutured to the epicardial AVN fat pad for delivery of selective AVN-VS by a subcutaneously implanted nerve stimulator (pulse width 100 micros or 1 ms, frequency 20 or 160 Hz, amplitude 6 to 10 V). Fast-rate right atrial pacing (600 bpm) was used to induce and maintain AF. ECG, blood pressure, and body temperature were monitored telemetrically. One week after the induction of AF, AVN-VS was delivered and maintained for at least 5 weeks. It was found that AVN-VS had a consistent effect on ventricular rate slowing (on average 45+/-13 bpm) over the entire period of observation. Echocardiography showed improvement of cardiac indices with ventricular rate slowing. AVN-VS was well tolerated by the animals, causing no signs of distress or discomfort. CONCLUSIONS: Beneficial long-term ventricular rate slowing during AF can be achieved by implantation of a nerve stimulator attached to the epicardial AVN fat pad. This novel concept is an attractive alternative to other methods of rate control and may be applicable in a selected group of patients.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16260638/