Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Transcutaneous direct current cardioversion in a foal with lone atrial fibrillation.
- Journal:
- Journal of veterinary cardiology : the official journal of the European Society of Veterinary Cardiology
- Year:
- 2017
- Authors:
- Potter, B M et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences · United States
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 3-month-old Thoroughbred filly was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, a heart rhythm problem, despite having a normal heart structure. Initial treatment with a medication called quinidine sulfate didn't work. However, the veterinarians successfully used a method called transcutaneous direct current cardioversion, which involves applying adhesive patches to the skin and giving another medication, procainamide, through an IV. After this treatment, the filly's heart rhythm returned to normal and stayed that way both when she left the hospital and during a follow-up five months later. This method could be a good option for treating similar heart issues in young horses.
Abstract
There are rare published reports of atrial fibrillation (AF) in foals, all of which are associated with structural heart disease or within the adaptive period of newborns. This report describes a 3-month-old Thoroughbred filly with AF and a structurally normal heart on echocardiography. Medical cardioversion of the foal's AF was attempted with three 20mg/kg doses of quinidine sulfate therapy without success. Timed, transcutaneous, direct current cardioversion was successfully performed using adhesive patches on the midthorax in conjunction with intravenous procainamide at a total dose of 20mg/kg. A normal sinus rhythm was maintained through discharge from the hospital and at recheck 5 months after cardioversion. Transcutaneous direct current cardioversion presents a feasible alternative to quinidine sulfate or transvenous electrical cardioversion in young or lower body weight equids.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27815140/