Implantation of a dual-chamber, rate-adaptive pacemaker in a horse with suspected sick sinus syndrome.
A five-year-old gelding suffered syncope at the end of a period of exercise. A 24-hour electrocardiogram recording revealed intermittent pauses in the sinus rhythm of up to 10 seconds, indicating sinus node disease; the pauses occurred repeatedly, particularly after exercise. A dual-chamber, rate-adaptive pacemaker was successfully implanted, which prevented excessive postexercise bradycardia and syncope, and allowed the horse to return to work.
van Loon
G
G
Department of Large Animal Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
Fonteyne
W
W
Rottiers
H
H
Tavernier
R
R
Deprez
P
P
D000818:Animals; D001919:Bradycardia / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D006736:Horses; D008297:Male; D010138:Pacemaker, Artificial / Q000662:veterinary*; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal; D012804:Sick Sinus Syndrome / Q000628:therapy* / Q000662:veterinary*; D013575:Syncope / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary