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Sudden death of a horse with supraventricular tachycardia following oral administration of flecainide acetate
Author(s) -
Dembek Katarzyna A.,
Hurcombe Samuel D.A.,
Schober Karsten E.,
Toribio Ramiro E.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of veterinary emergency and critical care
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.886
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1476-4431
pISSN - 1479-3261
DOI - 10.1111/vec.12251
Subject(s) - flecainide , medicine , torsades de pointes , supraventricular tachycardia , cardiology , sudden death , atrial fibrillation , anesthesia , ventricular tachycardia , atrial tachycardia , digoxin , tachycardia , heart failure , qt interval , catheter ablation
Objective To describe a case of supraventricular tachycardia and sudden death in a horse following administration of flecainide acetate. Case Summary An 8‐year‐old Hanoverian warmblood gelding was treated for chronic, naturally occurring, supraventricular tachycardia with digoxin, procainamide hydrochloride, quinidine sulfate, and flecainide acetate. After oral administration of flecainide, polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (torsades de pointes) and ventricular fibrillation developed, leading to cardiovascular collapse and death. New or Unique Information Provided Atrial fibrillation is the most commonly diagnosed dysrhythmia associated with poor performance in horses, while atrial tachycardia is rarely documented. Here, we describe a case of sudden death in a horse with atrial tachycardia following the oral administration of flecainide acetate, after the lack of response to other antiarrhythmic drugs. Information provided in this case report is new and will make clinicians aware of the potential complications of flecainide alone or in combination with other drugs, in horses with cardiac dysrhythmias.