Research Communications of the 27(th) ECVIM-CA Congress: Intercontinental, Saint Julian's, Malta, 14th to 16th September 2017

Sinus rhythm was diagnosed in all healthy and in 24/35 (68.6%) cats with LVH. The remaining cats with LVH showed different types of rhythm disturbance, including third degree atrioventricular block (AVB) (2/35, 5.7%), sinus rhythm with isolated atrial (2/ 35, 5.7%) or ventricular ectopic complexes (2/35, 5.7%), sinus bradycardia (1/35, 2.9%), sinus rhythm associated with both first degree and second degree AVB (1/35, 2.9%), sinus rhythm associated with second degree AVB (1/35, 2.9%), accelerated idioventricular rhythm (1/35, 2.9%) and ventricular tachycardia (1/35, 2.9%). The presence of any type of arrhythmia had sensitivity of 31%, specificity of 100%, negative predictive value of 45%, and positive predictive value of 100%, in identifying LVH. ECG measurements were performed in all healthy cats and in 29/35 cats with LVH. Only QT and QTc were statistically different between healthy cats and cats with LVH (P < 0.007 for both variables). Among the healthy cats, the highest values for QT and QTc were 180 ms, and 200 ms, respectively. Survival data were available for 23/29 cats with LVH where ECG measurements were performed. Of these 10/23 died for cardiac related cause. Median survival time was 58 days and not measureable for cats with QT>180 ms and QT≤180 ms, respectively, and 125 days and not measureable for cats with QTc>200 ms and QTc≤200 ms, respectively. Both QT>180 ms and QTc>200 ms were predictors of death for cardiac related causes (P = 0.042 and P = 0.017, respectively).