This two-day practical workshop will provide a basic starter-pack to diagnose common cardiac disorders and provide therapies according to current best practice. Veterinarians are able to attend one or both days.

The first day of the workshop will focus on the theory of ECG and clinical diagnostics of heart disease including:

  • Understanding the generation of the ECG tracing, and how each segment corresponds to an electrical event in the heart.
  • The theory of performing ECG, and the indications for ECG, including complimentary diagnostics such as thoracic radiographs, cardiac biomarkers, physical exam findings and more.
  • The practical session will include practicing setting up and generating a trace on dogs, as well as discussion of cardiac case studies with a focus on ECGs.

Day two will begin by focusing on the theory of echocardiography and image acquisition.
This will be followed by two practical sessions:

  • The first will give each delegate the opportunity to practice acquiring the standard cardiac views.
  • The focus of the second session will be the acquisition and application of various cardiac measurements and making a diagnosis.

Event Details:

  • When: Friday July 6 and Saturday July 7, 2018
  • Event Location: Villa Maria Winery, Auckland

Key Skills:

  • At the end of this workshop delegates should be able to:

    Day 1: ECGs

    • Understand the generation and origin of the normal anatomy of an ECG tracing
    • Perform and interpret a basic ECG study on a normal patient
    • Diagnose the common cardiac arrhythmias in small animal practice
      • Atrial fibrillation
      • Ventricular premature contractions
      • Heart blocks

    Day 2: Echocardiography

    • Understand the basics of echocardiography and how the images are generated and interpreted
    • Perform a basic echocardiogram on a normal dog
    • Use echocardiography to diagnose common heart diseases in small animal practice

Speaker Biography

Richard Burchell

BSc (Hons), BVSc, MMedVet, DECVIM-CA
Senior Lecturer in Internal Medicine

Richard studied a Bachelor of Science majoring in Microbiology and Zoology, followed by an Honours year in Microbiology and Molecular Biology. He then completed a Bachelor of Veterinary Science at the University of Pretoria.

Richard joined a small animal referral practice and started working as a referral veterinarian while studying for a Masters in Veterinary Medicine. Two years later, Richard was employed by the University of Pretoria as a Lecturer in Medicine. During this time, he completed a Residency in Small Animal Internal Medicine through the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

After a short stint in private specialist practice, Richard once again heeded the clarion call of academia and joined the medicine team at Massey University. He is now based at James Cook University in Townsville, Australia, as a Senior Lecturer in Internal Medicine.

Practical Cardiology: ECGs and Echocardiography