Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How ECG P wave helps measure left atrial size in dogs with mitral
By Soto-Bustos, Ángel et al.·Published in The Journal of veterinary medical science·2017·The Complutense Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Spain·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Diagnostic accuracy of electrocardiographic P wave related parameters in the assessment of left atrial size in dogs with degenerative mitral valve disease.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study looked at how well certain heart measurements from an electrocardiogram (ECG) could predict left atrial enlargement in dogs with degenerative mitral valve disease. The researchers compared new and traditional ECG measurements in 146 dogs, including 37 healthy ones. They found that these measurements were not very effective, showing low sensitivity and specificity for detecting heart issues. This means that relying on these ECG parameters alone may not be the best way to assess heart enlargement in affected dogs.
People also search for: dog heart disease symptoms · degenerative mitral valve disease in dogs · ECG for dogs heart problems
Abstract
The purpose of this research was to compare the accuracy of newly described P wave-related parameters (P wave area, Macruz index and mean electrical axis) with classical P wave-related parameters (voltage and duration of P wave) for the assessment of left atrial (LA) size in dogs with degenerative mitral valve disease. One hundred forty-six dogs (37 healthy control dogs and 109 dogs with degenerative mitral valve disease) were prospectively studied. Two-dimensional echocardiography examinations and a 6-lead ECG were performed prospectively in all dogs. Echocardiography parameters, including determination of the ratios LA diameter/aortic root diameter and LA area/aortic root area, were compared to P wave-related parameters: P wave area, Macruz index, mean electrical axis voltage and duration of P wave. The results showed that P wave-related parameters (classical and newly described) had low sensitivity (range=52.3 to 77%; median=60%) and low to moderate specificity (range=47.2 to 82.5%; median 56.3%) for the prediction of left atrial enlargement. The areas under the curve of P wave-related parameters were moderate to low due to poor sensitivity. In conclusion, newly P wave-related parameters do not increase the diagnostic capacity of ECG as a predictor of left atrial enlargement in dogs with degenerative mitral valve disease.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28845021/