Electrocardiographic technic for identifying developing cardiomyopathies in young turkey poults

A modification of the technic for the utilization of electrocardiographic (ECG) data to identify round heart poults was used to screen poults with questionable ECG recordings and to diagnose poults with early cardiomyopathies. In two experimental trials, using a voltage greater than .1 mV (NH) in the R wave of Lead I as a criterion, it was possible trom 20 to 24%. At subsequent periodic data gathering, 37% of the poults in Trial I and 27% of the poults in Trial II exhibited NH before developing the typical normal transitional to round heart (NT leads to R) ECG pattern of the round heart syndrome. Necropsy findings confirmed myocardial alterations in a majority of the poults with NH whether or not the typical round heart ECG pattern ensued. Application of this finding is discussed.