Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Supraventricular tachycardia and atrial fibrillation in cats compared
By Greet, V et al.Ā·Published in Journal of veterinary cardiology : the official journal of the European Society of Veterinary CardiologyĀ·2020Ā·Royal Veterinary College, United KingdomĀ·View original on PubMed ā
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Original publication title: Supraventricular tachycardia in 23 cats; comparison with 21 cats with atrial fibrillation (2004-2014).
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 23 cats with supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) often showed signs of breathing problems, while 21 cats with atrial fibrillation (AF) had a slower heart rate and were all found to have heart disease. Interestingly, some cats with SVT had normal heart structures, indicating that SVT isn't always linked to heart enlargement. The study found that cats with SVT had a longer median survival time compared to those with AF, but those showing signs of congestive heart failure had a shorter survival. Treatment options were not detailed, but understanding these conditions can help in managing heart health in cats.
People also search for: cat breathing problems Ā· cat heart disease symptoms Ā· supraventricular tachycardia treatment in cats
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) has not been well described in cats. The aim of this study was to describe the signalment, clinical findings, and outcome for cats with SVT versus cats with atrial fibrillation (AF). ANIMALS: Forty-four client owned cats are included in the study. 23 cats with SVT and 21 with AF. METHODS: This is a retrospective study. Clinical characteristics were compared between groups using a two-sample t-test or Mann-Whitney U test. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were generated to assess for impact of rhythm diagnosis, presence of ventricular arrhythmia, left atrial diameter, heart rate and congestive heart failure (CHF) status on cardiac death. Differences in survival between groups were compared using Mantel-Cox logrank comparison of Kaplan-Meier survival curves. RESULTS: Cats with supraventricular arrhythmias most commonly presented with respiratory distress (10 of 44 cats). Cats with AF had a slower median heart rate (220 [range: 180-260 beats per minute (bpm)] compared with cats with SVT (300 [range: 150-380] bpm, p < 0.001). All cats with AF had structural heart disease, whereas 4 cats with SVT had no structural abnormalities. Left atrial diameter was significantly larger in cats with AF (23.7 (16.2-40.1) mm compared with 19.1 (12.8-31.4) mm in SVT cats; p = 0.02). Median survival was 58 days (1-780) in cats with AF and 259 days (2-2295) in cats with SVT (p = 0.1). Cats with signs of CHF had a shorter survival time (p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Most cats with AF or SVT have advanced structural heart disease. Some cats with SVT had structurally normal hearts, suggesting that SVT in cats is not always a consequence of atrial enlargement.
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Search related cases āOriginal publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32585443/