Contents
Preface ix
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction xiii
1 Normal ECG 1
Before recording 1
ECG set up 2
Recording the ECG 2
What is measured 3
Normal ECG 3
Calculating the heart rate 3
Calculating the mean electrical axis 5
Measuring the complexes 5
2 Bradyarrhythmias 8
Sinus bradycardia 8
Sinus arrhythmia 9
Sinus arrest 10
Atrial standstill 10
AV block overview 12
First-degree AV block 12
Second-degree AV block 12
Third-degree AV block 13
Asystole 15
Cardiopulmonary arrest 16
Escape rhythms 20
3 Tachyarrhythmias 22
Atrial premature complexes 22
Ventricular premature complexes 22
Differentiating SVT from VT 24
Supraventricular tachycardia 27
Atrial fibrillation 28
Ventricular pre-excitation 32
Re-entrant tachycardia 33
Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome 34
Ventricular tachycardia 35
Accelerated idioventricular rhythm 38
Ventricular flutter 39
Ventricular fibrillation 40
Torsade de pointes 40
4 Miscellaneous arrhythmias and cardiac conditions 42
Artifacts and anomalies 42
Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy 42
AV junctional rhythms 45
Junctional escape beats 45
Junctional rhythm 46
Bradycardia-tachycardia syndrome (sick sinus syndrome) 47
Electrical alternans (pericardial effusion) 48
Left bundle branch block 50
Left anterior fascicular block 51
Right bundle branch block 52
ST segment abnormalities 52
T wave abnormalities 53
Canine congestive heart failure—mitral valve insufficiency 55
Canine dilated cardiomyopathy 58
Feline aortic thromboembolism (saddle thrombus) 59
Feline congestive heart failure 64
Heartworm—caval syndrome (CS) 68
Pericardial effusion 73
5 Electrolyte disturbance and the ECG 77
Hyperkalemia 77
Hypokalemia 78
Hypercalcemia 78
Hypocalcemia 79
6 Emergency algorithms 80
Bradycardia algorithm 80
Tachycardia algorithm 80
Asystole algorithm (CPR) 80
Arrhythmia drug chart 80
Further reading 86
Index 000
