A CARDIOLOGICAL SCORING SCHEME FOR STANDA RDIZATION OF CARDIAC EXAMINATION IN HORSES

Heart murmurs are very common clinical finding in routine and prepurch ase examinations. The influence of heart murmurs on the horse's perfor mance is yet unclear. For this reason a special grading scheme for hor ses suffering from cardiovascular disease was developed. Taking ail of these findings into account a good grading of the stage of cardiovasc ular disease was possible. History, clinical and electrocardiographic examinations and important B-and M-mode echocardiographic parameters w ere scored. This study shows that auscultation and B-mode echocardiogr aphy represent the best methods for grading cardiac disease, 58 horses were examined and graded into lour groups: low, moderate, severe, ver y severe heart disease. Most of the horses examined were graded as suf fering from moderate to severe cardiac disease. The special value of t his model is simplification of echocardiographic examination and there fore shorter examination periods in combination with an accurate diagn osis. Further examinations with doppler, colour flow doppler mapping a nd heart catheterization for detailed diagnosis of the various kinds o f valvular diseases should be done where neccessary and possible but i s not discussed here.