Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Via Tolara di Sopra 50, 40064, Ozzano dell'Emilia, Italy.
Freelance Veterinary Cardiologist, Italy.
J Vet Cardiol. 2022 Aug;42:34-42. doi: 10.1016/j.jvc.2022.05.001. Epub 2022 May 10.
INTRODUCTION/OBJECTIVES: Whether a brachymorphic conformation may lead to electrocardiographic peculiarities diverging from generic reference intervals (RIs) cited in textbooks remains to be established. Therefore, this study aimed at evaluating electrocardiographic variables in one of the most common brachymorphic breed, namely the French Bulldog (FB).
ANIMALS, MATERIALS AND METHODS: Medical records were retrospectively reviewed to identify healthy FBs ≥1-year-old that underwent an electrocardiogram. The Mann-Whitney U test or the Student's t-test was used to compare continuous variables among male and female dogs, while the χ test was used for categorical variables. Spearman's correlation coefficients between electrocardiographic measurements and age and body weight were also calculated. Moreover, electrocardiographic RIs were determined.
Eighty healthy FBs were enrolled; their electrocardiographic variables fitted with generic RIs, with the exception of the QRS-complex mean electrical axis (QRS-MEA). The median QRS-MEA value was 43.5° (from -18° to +90°). A QRS-MEA shift was found in 24/80 (30%) dogs; in all cases, it was a left shift (median 26°, from -18° to +39°). Specifically, 20 dogs showed a slight left shift (from +39° to +14°), while four dogs showed a marked one (from +9° to -18°). No meaningful differences were found when comparing electrocardiographic variables between males and females. No significant correlations between electrocardiographic variables and age or body weight were found, with the exceptions of the P-wave amplitude, PQ-interval duration and QT-interval duration.
Healthy FBs can present a left shift of QRS-MEA. These data should be considered when interpreting FBs' electrocardiograms.
介绍/目的：短头颅形态是否会导致心电图特征偏离教科书中引用的通用参考区间（RI）仍有待确定。因此，本研究旨在评估一种最常见的短头颅品种——法国斗牛犬（FB）的心电图变量。
动物、材料和方法：回顾性查阅病历，以确定≥1 岁接受心电图检查的健康 FB。使用 Mann-Whitney U 检验或学生 t 检验比较雄性和雌性犬的连续变量，而使用 χ 检验比较分类变量。还计算了心电图测量值与年龄和体重之间的 Spearman 相关系数。此外，确定了心电图 RI。
共纳入 80 只健康 FB；除 QRS 复合平均电轴（QRS-MEA）外，其心电图变量符合通用 RI。QRS-MEA 的中位数为 43.5°（从-18°至+90°）。24/80（30%）只狗存在 QRS-MEA 偏移，在所有情况下均为左移（中位数 26°，从-18°至+39°）。具体而言，20 只狗表现为轻度左移（从+39°至+14°），而 4 只狗表现为明显左移（从+9°至-18°）。雄性和雌性之间的心电图变量没有差异。仅 P 波振幅、PQ 间期持续时间和 QT 间期持续时间与心电图变量之间存在显著相关性。
健康 FB 可能存在 QRS-MEA 左移。在解释 FB 心电图时应考虑这些数据。
