Veterinary Clinical Medicine-I (General and Systemic)

ACUTE HEART FAILURE

Etiology

• Cardiac tamponade
• Aortic or pulmonary arterial rupture
• Myocarditis
• Nutritional deficiency myopathy
• Plant poisoning myopathy
• Electrocution, lightning strike
• Latrogenic intravenous injection calcium, potassium solutions, xyaline
• Aortic valve rupture
• Anaphylaxis
• Induction stage of halothane or barbiturate anesthesia

Clinical findings

• Acute syndrome
  • Commonest during exercise or excitement; a significant cause of death in horses during training or tracing
  • Dyspnea
  • Staggering, falling, recumbency
  • Marked mucosal pallor
  • Sporadic, incordinated limb movements; short of actual convulsions
  • Bradycardia, tachycardia or heart sounds absent
  • No pulse
  • Death within minutes, with deep, asphyxial gaps
• Subacute syndrome
  • Course 12-24 hours
  • Tachycardia , often tachyarththmia
  • Severe dyspnea
  • Lung base crackles
  • Hydrothorax, ascites in those with longer course
  • Clinical pathology
  • Not applicable in most cases
  • Elevated serum levels of creatine kinase, aspartase aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase

Diagnosis

• Acute cases resemble other causes of sudden death. Less acute cases resemble:
  • Congestive heart failure
  • Pulmonary edema
  • Pneumonia

Treatment

• Usually impractical because of short course.