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Published on: September 25, 2017
Diagnostic and prognostic utility of surface electrocardiography in cats with left ventricular hypertrophy
G Romito1, C Guglielmini2, M O Mazzarella1
1Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Italy.
Insights
Electrocardiography (ECG) can identify left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in cats using arrhythmias and prolonged QT intervals. These ECG findings also help predict survival outcomes in feline patients with LVH.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Cardiology
- Feline Medicine
- Diagnostic Imaging
Background:
- Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is a significant cardiac condition in cats.
- Accurate diagnosis and prognostic assessment are crucial for managing feline heart disease.
- Electrocardiography (ECG) is a non-invasive tool that may offer insights into cardiac structure and function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of ECG in detecting LVH in cats.
- To determine the prognostic significance of specific ECG variables in cats diagnosed with LVH.
Main Methods:
- A clinical cohort study involving 57 cats (22 healthy, 35 with LVH).
- Echocardiography was used for LVH diagnosis.
- Surface ECGs were analyzed for rhythm and specific measurements, including QT interval and heart rate-corrected QT interval (QTc).
- Survival data and causes of death were collected for cats with LVH and analyzed using Kaplan-Meier curves.
Main Results:
- Arrhythmias demonstrated 100% specificity for identifying LVH.
- Significant differences in QT and QTc intervals were observed between healthy cats and those with LVH (p=0.007).
- Optimal cutoffs for LVH detection were QT > 170 ms (48.3% sensitivity, 91% specificity) and QTc > 188 ms (62% sensitivity, 77% specificity).
- Prolonged QT (>180 ms) and QTc (>200 ms) intervals were associated with significantly shorter survival times (p=0.042 and p=0.017, respectively).
Conclusions:
- ECG parameters, including arrhythmias and prolonged QT/QTc intervals, are valuable for diagnosing LVH in cats.
- These ECG findings provide important prognostic information regarding survival in cats with LVH.
Objectives:
To assess the ability of electrocardiography (ECG) to predict left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in the cat and to investigate the prognostic value of selected ECG variables in cats with LVH.
Animals:
Fifty-seven privately owned cats: 22 clinically healthy cats and 35 cats with LVH.
Material And Methods:
This is a clinical cohort study. Echocardiographic diagnosis and surface ECG were available. Electrocardiography analysis included rhythm diagnosis and specific electrocardiographic measurements. In cats with LVH, cause of death and outcome data were recorded and analyzed using Kaplan-Meier curves.
Results:
The presence of arrhythmia had sensitivity and specificity of 31% and 100%, respectively, for identifying LVH. Among ECG measurements, duration of QT interval (QT) and QT interval corrected for heart rate (QTc) was statistically different between healthy cats and cats with LVH (p = 0.007). Overall, the most accurate cutoffs to identify LVH were QT > 170 ms (sensitivity and specificity 48.3% and 91%, respectively) and QTc > 188 ms (sensitivity and specificity 62% and 77%, respectively). In healthy cats, the highest QT and QTc values were 180 ms and 200 ms, respectively. Mean survival time was 58 days and indeterminable for cats with QT > 180 ms and QT ≤ 180 ms, respectively (p = 0.042) and 125 days and indeterminable for cats with QTc > 200 ms and QTc ≤ 200 ms, respectively (p = 0.017).
Conclusions:
Arrhythmias as well as prolonged QT and QTc are useful ECG parameters in identifying LVH and predicting survival in affected cats.
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