title: Continuous monitoring of ECG in horses at rest and during exercise.
abstract: A method for the continuous monitoring of the electrocardiogram (ECG) of horses at rest and during exercise was evaluated in five healthy horses. The horses spent 24 hours in a loose box and performed a standardised exercise test on a treadmill during this period. Two bipolar leads were recorded, lead 1 between the xiphoid and the left withers, and lead 2 between the left ventral thorax and the left dorsal thorax, using disposable electrodes. The quality of the ECGs enabled both an 'operator-controlled' and an automatic analysis to be made. Lead 1 was the most stable during exercise and lead 2 during rest in the loose box. The heart rate and occurrence of arrhythmias were assessed over 22 hours. During the boxed period the heart rate varied from 31 +/- 2 to 138 +/- 11 beats per minute (bpm) and during exercise it varied from 79 +/- 8 to 177 +/- 12 bpm. All the horses had sinus arrhythmias, sinus tachycardias and second degree atrioventricular blocks. One horse developed a ventricular escape rhythm.
authors.affiliation: Department of Large Animal Medicine and Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: C W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Scheffer
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Robben
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000502:physiology*; D006327:Heart Block / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006736:Horses / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D012146:Rest / Q000502:physiology*; D013610:Tachycardia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary