Implications of QRS duration in dogs with pacing-induced heart failure

The objective of this study was to find out the implication of QRS duration in dogs with rapid pacing-induced heart failure. Sixteen Beagle dogs were implanted with transvenous cardiac pacemakers and underwent rapid right ventricular pacing for 3 weeks at 260 bpm to induce heart failure. Dogs were divided into two groups according to the QRS duration: 9 with normal QRS duration (<100 ms) and 7 with prolonged QRS duration (≥100 ms). Cardiac systolic function and size was analyzed by real time 3-dimensional echocardiography and left ventricular dyssynchrony was assessed by speckle tracking strain imaging. Congestive heart failure developed 3 weeks after rapid right ventricular pacing. Dogs with prolonged QRS duration showed more extensive radial strain and circumferential strain dyssynchrony than dogs with normal QRS duration. At the end of 4-week recovery, greater improvement of left ventricular ejection fraction and left ventricular end-systolic volume was detected in dogs with normal QRS duration. The findings suggested that left ventricular dyssynchrony, indicated by a prolonged QRS duration, predicted an unsatisfying recovery in dogs with rapid pacing-induced heart failure. QRS duration had the potential to be a prognostic indicator for dogs with heart failure.