Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How accurate is computer ECG analysis for detecting dog heart problems
By Estrada, A H et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2021·Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Diagnostic accuracy of computer aided electrocardiogram analysis in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study evaluated a computer program designed to analyze electrocardiograms (ECGs) in dogs, comparing its accuracy to that of a team of expert veterinary cardiologists. The program was found to be highly effective at detecting arrhythmias, with a sensitivity of 99.7%, meaning it correctly identified nearly all cases of irregular heartbeats. However, it was less reliable for spotting other ECG abnormalities, showing a sensitivity of only 71.3%. This suggests that while the computer program can be a helpful tool for identifying serious heart issues, it may not catch every problem, and a vet's expertise is still crucial.
People also search for: dog heart problems ECG · dog arrhythmia detection · canine electrocardiogram analysis
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Evaluation of a computerised electrocardiogram algorithm compared to the interpretation of a team of board-certified veterinary cardiologists. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional retrospective cohort study. A total of 399 electronic canine electrocardiogram recordings screened from 1391 electrocardiograms were enrolled in the study. A panel of seven cardiologists, masked to patient information, evaluated electrocardiograms for the following: P-wave amplitude and duration; PR-interval; R-wave amplitude; QRS duration; heart rate; mean electrical axis; and final overall diagnosis for the detection of arrhythmia and any abnormal electrocardiogram anomaly. RESULTS: The sensitivity of the electrocardiogram algorithm for detecting arrhythmias was 99.7% (95% confidence intervals, CI: 98.5 to 99.9) and the specificity was 99.5% (95% CI: 98.0 to 99.9) compared to the consensus result created by panel of cardiologists. The sensitivity of the algorithm for the detection of any electrocardiogram anomaly, including abnormal measurements, was 71.3% (95% CI: 65.5 to 76.7) and the specificity was 35.1% (95% CI: 27.0 to 43.8) compared to the panel of cardiologists. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The electrocardiogram algorithm was shown to have high sensitivity for the detection of arrhythmias, but not all electrocardiogram anomalies. The results support the use of this algorithm as a tool to aid in the triage of the electrocardiogram workflow.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33260257/