Idiopathic atrial fibrillation in a champion Standardbred racehorse.
Abstract: Atrial fibrillation is described in a champion pacer which earlier had been named Australian Harness Horse of the Year as a 3-year-old in 1986-87. Prior to conversion atrial fibrillation had been present for at least 6 weeks, during which the horse had not raced. Successful treatment was achieved with two 10g doses of quinidine sulphate per oesophageal tube, after slow digitalisation with intravenous digoxin over 4d. Four hours after commencement of quinidine therapy the arrhythmia had regressed to atrial flutter and converted to sinus rhythm 10 min later. Considering his age, standard of racing and high reputation the horse's overall performance as a 5-year-old after conversion from atrial fibrillation appeared comparable to his previous performance as a 4-year-old before the disorder occurred. In one of the wins since his return to sinus rhythm, the horse recorded his fastest winning speed and created a new track record at the major Melbourne racetrack. The absence of abnormalities of atrial and atrio-ventricular conduction after the cessation of the arrhythmia, together with the horse's return to successful racing, indicate that this was case of atrial fibrillation occurring as a functional disorder without persistent atrial pathology.
Publication Date: 1990-05-01 PubMed ID: 2378602DOI: 10.1111/j.1751-0813.1990.tb07752.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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- Case Reports
- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The research article discusses the case of a champion racehorse that developed atrial fibrillation, a heart condition, but was successfully treated and returned to its prior racing performance. The atrial fibrillation appeared to be a functional disorder without any permanent damage to the horse’s heart.
Clinical Presentation
- The paper describes a case of atrial fibrillation in a championship-winning Standardbred racehorse. This is a type of heart disease that can disrupt the regular rhythm of the heartbeat, causing poor blood flow to the body.
- Interestingly, the horse was an accomplished racer and had been recognized as Australia’s Harness Horse of the Year in 1986-87.
- The fibrillation was present for about six weeks and during this time, the horse was not participating in any races.
Treatment and Recovery
- Successful treatment was carried out using quinidine sulphate and intravenous digoxin. Quinidine sulphate was given via an oesophageal tube and digoxin was administered slowly intravenously over four days.
- The arrhythmia regressed to atrial flutter about four hours after the commencement of quinidine treatment, and converted to the regular heart rhythm or sinus rhythm ten minutes later.
Post-Treatment Performance
- After successful treatment, the horse’s performance was comparable to its form before it developed the heart disorder. Significantly, the horse was five years old at this time and had a high-reputation in racing.
- In one race, post-treatment, the horse recorded its fastest winning speed and created a new track record at a major Melbourne racetrack.
Conclusion and Insights
- No abnormalities in the horse’s atrial and atrio-ventricular conduction were seen after the arrhythmia stopped, indicating that the atrial fibrillation was a functional disorder without any persistent damage to the heart tissue.
- The horse’s return to successful racing post treatment serves as affirmation of this conclusion.
Cite This Article
APA
Stewart GA, Fulton LJ, McKellar CD.
(1990).
Idiopathic atrial fibrillation in a champion Standardbred racehorse.
Aust Vet J, 67(5), 187-191.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-0813.1990.tb07752.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- School of Veterinary Science, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Atrial Fibrillation / drug therapy
- Atrial Fibrillation / physiopathology
- Atrial Fibrillation / veterinary
- Digoxin / therapeutic use
- Electrocardiography / veterinary
- Horse Diseases / drug therapy
- Horse Diseases / physiopathology
- Horses
- Male
- Quinidine / therapeutic use
Citations
This article has been cited 1 times.- Kraus M, Physick-Sheard P, Brito LF, Sargolzaei M, Schenkel FS. Marginal ancestral contributions to atrial fibrillation in the Standardbred racehorse: Comparison of cases and controls. PLoS One 2018;13(5):e0197137.
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