Electrocardiographic parameters in Colombian Creole horses, patients in a veterinary establishment in Antioquia, Colombia

Abstract

Cardiac disorders in horses are not generally manifested as in other animals however, there are conditions that need to be properly diagnosed to assess athletic performance. There are several studies on the use of complementary diagnostic methods, such as an electrocardiogram (ECG), in equine cardiology. Despite this, there are no baseline data for the case of Colombian Creole horses (CCH). This study aimed to describe the electrocardiographic tracings of 57 CCH patients at the Clínica Veterinaria Lasallista, with prior discharge and no obvious clinical abnormalities. ECGs were performed on animals divided into age groups. For data analysis, descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variance, and correlation coefficients were used. From each group, ranges of the amplitude and duration of various waves, intervals and segments were obtained. The only statistically significant difference was evidenced in the duration of the P-wave and the PR interval between age groups. Some of the ECG parameters had correlations with weight, age, and heart rate. This study makes an important contribution for those occasions when it is necessary to use electrocardiograms to validate the information obtained in clinical examination or in case of a suspected heart disease in CCHs, mainly, in case of arrhythmias.