Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Resolution of sustained narrow complex ventricular tachycardia and tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy in a Quarter Horse following quinidine therapy.
- Journal:
- Journal of veterinary cardiology : the official journal of the European Society of Veterinary Cardiology
- Year:
- 2012
- Authors:
- Stern, Joshua A et al.
- Affiliation:
- North Carolina State University · United States
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A fifteen-year-old Quarter Horse had a fast heart rate that lasted for three months and was also experiencing heart function problems. Despite tests showing no clear cause for the fast heart rate and no significant heart structure issues, treatments with intravenous diltiazem and lidocaine did not help. However, when the horse was given oral quinidine, it successfully returned to a normal heart rhythm. After this treatment, the heart function problems improved, showing that the fast heart rate had caused the issues, which resolved once the heart rate was controlled.
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: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22841902/