Prognostic value of measuring heart rate variability at the time of hospital admission in horses with colic.
Abstract: To evaluate the prognostic value of measuring heart rate variability (HRV) in horses with colic at the time of admission to a referral hospital. Methods: 51 horses > 1 year of age with colic (41 that survived [survivors] and 10 that died or were euthanized [nonsurvivors]). Methods: HRV was recorded within 1 hour after admission by use of heart rate sensors with horses restrained in stocks. A 5-minute recording period was analyzed to obtain HRV measurements (eg, SD of R-R intervals [SDRR], root mean square of successive differences between R-R intervals [RMSSD], and geometric SDs determined from Poincaré plots [SD1 and SD2]). Variables associated with outcome (survival vs nonsurvival) were identified. Measurements were compared among diagnostic categories for colic (obstructive, inflammatory, or ischemic). Results: SDRR and RMSSD were significantly higher in survivors (median [25th to 75th percentile], 91.0 milliseconds [78.9 to 114.6 milliseconds] and 64.8 milliseconds [40.9 to 78.4 milliseconds], respectively) than in nonsurvivors (50.7 milliseconds [29.1 to 69.2 milliseconds] and 33.4 milliseconds [12.6 to 47.9 milliseconds], respectively). Similarly, SD1 and SD2 were significantly higher in survivors (48.3 milliseconds [28.9 to 60.9 milliseconds] and 111.3 milliseconds [93.0 to 146.6 milliseconds], respectively) than in nonsurvivors (23.7 milliseconds [8.9 to 33.9 milliseconds] and 65.1 milliseconds [33.7 to 91.9 milliseconds], respectively). The SDRR and SD2 were significantly higher for horses with obstructive colic than for horses with ischemic colic. Conclusions: Analysis of HRV in horses with colic may provide information on the underlying cause and be helpful in identifying horses less likely to survive.
Publication Date: 2020-01-28 PubMed ID: 31985289DOI: 10.2460/ajvr.81.2.147Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The study investigates the usefulness of measuring heart rate variability (HRV) in predicting outcomes for horses admitted to a hospital due to colic. Results reveal that higher HRV measurements, taken within an hour of admission, are significantly associated with survival, potentially offering valuable insight into the animal’s prognosis and the underlying cause of colic.
Methodology of the Research
- The research focused on 51 horses, older than a year, that were brought to a medical facility due to colic.
- They were divided into two groups—41 that survived (survivors) and 10 that did not (nonsurvivors).
- Heart rate variability was recorded within the first hour of their admission using heart rate sensors while the horses were restrained in stocks.
- A recording period of 5 minutes was used to acquire the HRV measurements. These included the standard deviation of R-R intervals (SDRR), the root mean square of successive differences between R-R intervals (RMSSD), and geometric standard deviations calculated from Poincaré plots (SD1 and SD2).
- The collected data was then compared with the outcome (survival or nonsurvival) to identify any associated variables.
- Further comparison was also made across different colic diagnostic categories namely obstructive, inflammatory, or ischemic.
Findings of the Study
- The study found that both SDRR and RMSSD were significantly higher in the horses that survived.
- Similar patterns were noticed for SD1 and SD2 rates where survivors recorded significantly higher measurements.
- Another notable observation was that horses diagnosed with obstructive colic had a significantly higher SDRR and SD2 compared to those with ischemic colic.
Conclusion and Implications
- The study concludes that the analysis of HRV in horses suffering from colic could provide critical information about the underlying cause of the colic.
- Furthermore, HRV measurements can potentially help in identifying the horses that are less likely to survive, giving veterinarians a useful tool for predicting the prognosis of horses under their care.
Cite This Article
APA
Vitale V, Viu J, Armengou L, Ríos J, Jose-Cunilleras E.
(2020).
Prognostic value of measuring heart rate variability at the time of hospital admission in horses with colic.
Am J Vet Res, 81(2), 147-152.
https://doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.81.2.147 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Colic / veterinary
- Heart Rate
- Horse Diseases
- Horses
- Ischemia / veterinary
- Prognosis
Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Lara F, Castro R, Thomson P. Changes in the gut microbiome and colic in horses: Are they causes or consequences?. Open Vet J 2022 Mar-Apr;12(2):242-249.
- Hernández-Avalos I, Mota-Rojas D, Mendoza-Flores JE, Casas-Alvarado A, Flores-Padilla K, Miranda-Cortes AE, Torres-Bernal F, Gómez-Prado J, Mora-Medina P. Nociceptive pain and anxiety in equines: Physiological and behavioral alterations.. Vet World 2021 Nov;14(11):2984-2995.
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