title: Accuracy of heart rate obtained by auscultation in atrial fibrillation.
abstract: The accuracy of heart rate estimation by cardiac auscultation over a 15-second period, and the influence of clinical experience on accuracy were evaluated in a dog with chronic atrial fibrillation by test subjects of varying experience. Only 30% of all test subjects provided accurate heart rate estimates. Board-certified specialists, medicine residents, and experienced nurses were significantly more accurate in their estimates than surgery residents and students. Accurate estimates were provided by 12.5% of surgery residents and students, as opposed to 64% of the other test subjects. Auscultatory estimates of heart rate in atrial fibrillation may be significantly inaccurate, and under some circumstances they may not provide a sound basis for making clinical decisions.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Clinic for Small Animal Internal Medicine, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstr. 260, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Tony M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Glaus
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hässig
authors.forename: Bruce W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Keene
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004285:Dogs; D006326:Heart Auscultation / Q000592:standards / Q000662:veterinary*; D006339:Heart Rate; D008297:Male; D015588:Observer Variation; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests