Hunter
Case Background
Name: Hunter
Age: 9yr
Sex: Male, castrated
Breed: Golden retriever
Age: 9yr
Sex: Male, castrated
Breed: Golden retriever
Clinical History
Please review Hunter’s clinical history.
Patient presented to the emergency room 12hrs after an acute onset of collpase. The owners report that he was still weak/lethargic but gradually improving. Mucous membranes were pale and mild ascites was noted on abdominal POCUS. An arrhythmias was also noted on cardiac auscultation.
ECG
Discussion & Treatment
Discussion: While heart disease should be investigated, in many cases, the presence of accelerated idioventricular rhythm is often suggestive of non-cardiac illness. This rhythm is often identified in patients with gastric-dilatation volvulus, systemic infection/inflammation, or intra-abdominal disease such as splenic/hepatic mass lesions or adrenal disease. Treatment/management: The treatment for an accelerated idioventricular rhtyhm is debatable, and varies among cardiologists, internists and critical care specialists. Lidocaine can be given IV as an initial treatment, and electrolyte status should be checked and corrected, especially potassium deficiencies. However, many elect not to treat and monitor for adverse hemodynamic consequences (hypotension, altered mentation, etc). Furthermore, AIVR may not be responsive to lidocaine. Because this type of rhythm disturbance is frequently associated with acute illness, it is often a transient arrhythmia, and long term treatment is not always unnecessary.