Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Horse suddenly dies after taking flecainide - what happened?
By Dembek, Katarzyna A et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary emergency and critical care (San Antonio, Tex. : 2001)·2014·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Sudden death of a horse with supraventricular tachycardia following oral administration of flecainide acetate.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A case was reported involving an 8-year-old Hanoverian warmblood gelding that had a heart condition called supraventricular tachycardia, which means his heart was beating too fast. He was being treated with several medications, including flecainide acetate, to help manage this condition. Unfortunately, after taking flecainide, he developed serious heart problems that led to his sudden death. This case highlights the risks associated with using flecainide, especially when other treatments haven't worked. The outcome was fatal, emphasizing the need for caution when treating heart issues in horses.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To describe a case of supraventricular tachycardia and sudden death in a horse following administration of flecainide acetate. CASE SUMMARY: An 8-year-old Hanoverian warmblood gelding was treated for chronic, naturally occurring, supraventricular tachycardia with digoxin, procainamide hydrochloride, quinidine sulfate, and flecainide acetate. After oral administration of flecainide, polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (torsades de pointes) and ventricular fibrillation developed, leading to cardiovascular collapse and death. NEW OR UNIQUE INFORMATION PROVIDED: Atrial fibrillation is the most commonly diagnosed dysrhythmia associated with poor performance in horses, while atrial tachycardia is rarely documented. Here, we describe a case of sudden death in a horse with atrial tachycardia following the oral administration of flecainide acetate, after the lack of response to other antiarrhythmic drugs. Information provided in this case report is new and will make clinicians aware of the potential complications of flecainide alone or in combination with other drugs, in horses with cardiac dysrhythmias.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25388866/