title: Cardiac muscle mass distribution in the domestic turkey and relationship to electrocardiogram.
abstract: Ventricular weights were measured in 20-week-old male and female heavy turkeys, and electrocardiograms (ECGs) were recorded in 10- and 20-week-old male and female heavy turkeys. Twenty-week-old males had heavier relative left ventricular and total ventricular weights than females of the same age. Left-to-right ventricular weight ratios were 4.4:1 in males and 4.5:1 in females. Heart rate was faster in young birds and in females, and that influenced the duration of the intervals of the ECG. Wave amplitudes were smaller in 10-week-old turkeys than in 20-week-old turkeys. There was no correlation between electrocardiographic parameters and ventricular weights of male and female turkeys. Two-dimensional ECGs were therefore found to be of minimal value for detecting turkeys with heavier ventricles.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boulianne
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Hunter
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Julian
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: O'Grady
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Physick-Sheard
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000254:growth & development; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D012016:Reference Values; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014422:Turkeys / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*