Ventricular fibrillation: are swine a sensitive species?

  • Gregory P. Walcott
  • Mark W. Kroll
  • Raymond E. Ideker
Article
First Online:
Received:
Accepted:

Abstract

Purpose

Legislation and sentiment have pushed large-animal electrophysiological research from the canine to the swine model. Anecdotal experience suggests that the swine is particularly sensitive to ventricular fibrillation (VF) induction, and radiofrequency ablation studies are consistent with this. Currently, no data exist directly comparing the VF threshold (VFT) in humans to swine. Because of the perceived difference in vulnerability to VF induction, we hypothesized that the VFT would be lower in swine compared to humans.

Methods

Six anesthetized open-chested swine, 31 ± 2 kg, were studied that were part of an ongoing study with up to 6 h of previous closed-chest percutaneous pacing with repeated VF cycles. Similar to the human study of Horowitz et al., 24 pulses of 4 ms each were applied at a rate of 100 Hz during the ST segment to the epicardium via a pair of 7-mm diameter platinum electrodes whose centers were 15 mm apart. Current was increased until VF was induced.

Results

The swine right ventricle (RV) VFT was 9.7 ± 2.1 mA [median = 9.0, interquartile range (IQR) = 7.8–12.0], and the left ventricle (LV) VFT was 10.7 ± 2.2 mA [median = 10.5, IQR = 8.8–12.5] (p = NS). Horowitz reported the RV VFT in six patients as 24.3 ± 5.2 mA [median = 24.5, IQR = 19.0–29.3] and the LV VFT in ten patients as 33.6 ± 9.5 mA [median = 36.5, IQR = 27.3–42.3] (p = .11). Both the RV and LV VFTs were lower for swine (p < 0.003), and each of the mean and median VFTs for the ventricles together was one third that of the humans.

Conclusions

Swine are about three times as sensitive to the electrical induction of VF as are humans.

Keywords

Purkinje Ablation Swine Animal model Ventricular fibrillation Threshold 

Abbreviations

DFT

Defibrillation threshold

ECG

Electrocardiograph

IQR

Interquartile range

LV

Left ventricle

RV

Right ventricle

UAB

University of Alabama

USDA

US Department of Agriculture

VF

Ventricular fibrillation

VFT

Ventricular fibrillation threshold

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Notes

Conflict of interest

Authors have full control of all primary data and agree to allow the journal to review their data if requested. This work was funded by a grant from TASER International, Inc., and Dr. Kroll is a member of their corporate and scientific advisory board and holds their equity. Drs. Walcott and Ideker report no conflicts.

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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media New York 2015

Authors and Affiliations

  • Gregory P. Walcott
    • 1
    • 2
  • Mark W. Kroll
    • 4
  • Raymond E. Ideker
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
  1. 1.Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Department of MedicineUniversity of Alabama at BirminghamBirminghamUSA
  2. 2.Department of Biomedical EngineeringUniversity of Alabama at BirminghamBirminghamUSA
  3. 3.Department of PhysiologyUniversity of Alabama at BirminghamBirminghamUSA
  4. 4.Department of Biomedical EngineeringUniversity of MinnesotaMinneapolisUSA

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