Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Horse with fast heart rate and heart issues treated with quinidine
By Stern, Joshua A et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary cardiology : the official journal of the European Society of Veterinary Cardiology·2012·North Carolina State University, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Resolution of sustained narrow complex ventricular tachycardia and tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy in a Quarter Horse following quinidine therapy.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 15-year-old Quarter Horse was experiencing a fast heart rate for three months, which led to heart muscle dysfunction. Despite trying medications like diltiazem and lidocaine, the horse's condition didn't improve. However, after starting oral quinidine, the horse's heart rhythm returned to normal, and the heart function improved significantly. This case shows that certain heart issues can be caused by rapid heart rates and can get better with the right treatment.
People also search for: horse fast heart rate treatment · Quarter Horse heart problems · quinidine for horse arrhythmia
Abstract
Sustained narrow-QRS tachycardia of three months duration and left ventricular systolic dysfunction were identified in a fifteen-year-old Quarter Horse. No underlying cause for the tachyarrhythmia was found and no predisposing structural cardiac lesions were evident by echocardiography. Intravenous diltiazem and lidocaine were administered without achieving successful conversion of the arrhythmia. Oral quinidine therapy converted the tachyarrhythmia to sinus rhythm. Ventricular systolic dysfunction and chamber dilatation subsequently resolved. As with other species, echocardiographic features of dilated cardiomyopathy can be tachycardia-induced and may resolve following successful control of heart rate and rhythm.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22841902/