PARÂMETROS ELETROCARDIOGRÁFICOS DE CASCAVÉIS (Crotalus durissus, Linnaeus, 1758) EM CATIVEIRO.

Although electrocardiography is widely used in veterinary practice, this tool still has little application in diagnosing diseases of snakes. This study aimed to characterize the electrocardiographic parameters of Crotalus durissus in captivity, under controlled conditions. For this, 23 snakes were subjected to ECG examination, where the following parameters were analyzed: heart rate, rhythm, cardiac axis, P and T waves, QRS complex, as well as the P-R and S-T intervals in the heart leads DI, DII, DIII, aVF, aVL and aVR The results showed that the technique used was effective to the measurements of cardiac deflections, but the analysis of heart rate and rhythm is generally impaired by a bias-induced stress and its interpretation should be cautious. The electrocardiographic parameters of Crotalus durissus determined in this study were fairly consistent, with minor variations, which seem to allow its use for cardiac disease diagnosis in snakes. The scarcity of electrocardiographic patterns for snakes makes difficult a comparison and interpretation of how the morphological, physiological and ecological data can influence the electrocardiogram, therefore, further research to determine the electrocardiographic pattern of different species will be absolutely necessary to the use of the electrocardiogram as a diagnostic tool in clinical routine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]