Continuous monitoring of ECG in horses at rest and during exercise.
Abstract: A method for the continuous monitoring of the electrocardiogram (ECG) of horses at rest and during exercise was evaluated in five healthy horses. The horses spent 24 hours in a loose box and performed a standardised exercise test on a treadmill during this period. Two bipolar leads were recorded, lead 1 between the xiphoid and the left withers, and lead 2 between the left ventral thorax and the left dorsal thorax, using disposable electrodes. The quality of the ECGs enabled both an 'operator-controlled' and an automatic analysis to be made. Lead 1 was the most stable during exercise and lead 2 during rest in the loose box. The heart rate and occurrence of arrhythmias were assessed over 22 hours. During the boxed period the heart rate varied from 31 +/- 2 to 138 +/- 11 beats per minute (bpm) and during exercise it varied from 79 +/- 8 to 177 +/- 12 bpm. All the horses had sinus arrhythmias, sinus tachycardias and second degree atrioventricular blocks. One horse developed a ventricular escape rhythm.
Publication Date: 1995-10-07 PubMed ID: 8578649DOI: 10.1136/vr.137.15.371Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The research article presents a study where a method for continuous electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring in horses, both at rest and during exercise, was evaluated using five healthy horses over a period of 24 hours.
Methodology
- The study was conducted using five healthy horses on a treadmill over 24 hours.
- The research aimed to evaluate a method for continuous ECG monitoring in horses, both at rest and during physical exercise.
- This was achieved by monitoring two bipolar leads in the horses, one lead 1 between the xiphoid and the left withers and lead 2 between the left ventral thorax and the left dorsal thorax, using disposable electrodes.
Results
- The quality of the ECGs that were recorded was good enough to allow both an operator-controlled and an automatic analysis to be made.
- Different results were observed in different scenarios: Lead 1 was found to be the most stable during exercise, while Lead 2 was more stable when the horses were at rest in the loose box.
- The heart rate and occurrence of arrhythmias were monitored and measured for a period of 22 hours.
- During the boxed rest period, the heart rate was observed to vary from 31 +/- 2 to 138 +/- 11 beats per minute (bpm).
- During exercise, the heart rate varied from 79 +/- 8 to 177 +/- 12 bpm.
Conclusion
- All the horses showed occurrences of sinus arrhythmias, sinus tachycardias, and second-degree atrioventricular blocks during the monitoring period.
- A ventricular escape rhythm was also observed in one of the horses.
- The study provided valuable initial insight into the ECG patterns of horses both at rest and during exercise, establishing a basis for potential future studies in this domain.
Cite This Article
APA
Scheffer CW, Robben JH, Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM.
(1995).
Continuous monitoring of ECG in horses at rest and during exercise.
Vet Rec, 137(15), 371-374.
https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.137.15.371 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Large Animal Medicine and Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, The Netherlands.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Arrhythmias, Cardiac / epidemiology
- Arrhythmias, Cardiac / physiopathology
- Arrhythmias, Cardiac / veterinary
- Electrocardiography / methods
- Electrocardiography / veterinary
- Exercise Test / veterinary
- Female
- Heart / physiology
- Heart Block / epidemiology
- Heart Block / physiopathology
- Heart Block / veterinary
- Horse Diseases / diagnosis
- Horse Diseases / epidemiology
- Horse Diseases / physiopathology
- Horses / physiology
- Male
- Netherlands / epidemiology
- Physical Conditioning, Animal / physiology
- Rest / physiology
- Tachycardia / epidemiology
- Tachycardia / physiopathology
- Tachycardia / veterinary
Citations
This article has been cited 5 times.- Linnehan BK, Gomez FM, Huston SM, Hsu A, Takeshita R, Colegrove KM, Harms CA, Barratclough A, Deming AC, Rowles TK, Musser WB, Zolman ES, Wells RS, Jensen ED, Schwacke LH, Smith CR. Cardiac assessments of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the Northern Gulf of Mexico following exposure to Deepwater Horizon oil. PLoS One 2021;16(12):e0261112.
- Mukherjee J, Das PK, Ghosh PR, Banerjee D, Sharma T, Basak D, Sanyal S. Electrocardiogram pattern of some exotic breeds of trained dogs: A variation study. Vet World 2015 Nov;8(11):1317-20.
- Hesselkilde EZ, Almind ME, Petersen J, Flethøj M, Præstegaard KF, Buhl R. Cardiac arrhythmias and electrolyte disturbances in colic horses. Acta Vet Scand 2014 Oct 2;56(1):58.
- Morgan RA, Raftery AG, Cripps P, Senior JM, McGowan CM. The prevalence and nature of cardiac arrhythmias in horses following general anaesthesia and surgery. Acta Vet Scand 2011 Nov 23;53(1):62.
- Zucca E, Ferrucci F, Di Fabio V, Croci C, Ferro E. The use of electrocardiographic recording with Holter monitoring during treadmill exercise to evaluate cardiac arrhythmias in racehorses. Vet Res Commun 2003 Sep;27 Suppl 1:811-4.
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