The objective of this study was to find out the implication of QRS duration in dogs with rapid pacing-induced heart failure. Sixteen Beagle dogs were implanted with transvenous cardiac pacemakers and underwent rapid right ventricular pacing for 3 weeks at 260 bpm to induce hear t failure. Dogs were divided into two groups according to the QRS duration: 9 with normal QRS duration (<100 ms) and 7 wi th prolonged QRS duration (≥100 ms). Cardiac systolic functi on and size was analyzed by real time 3-dimensional echocardiography and left ventricular dyssynchrony was assessed by speckle tracking strain imaging. Congestive heart failure developed 3 weeks after rapid right ventricular pacing. Dogs with prolonged QRS duration showed more extensive radial strain and circumferential strain dyssynchrony than dogs with norm al QRS duration. At the end of 4-week recovery, greater improvemen t of left ventricular ejection fraction and left ventricular end-systolic volume was detected in dogs with normal QRS duration. The findings suggested that left ventricular dyssynchrony, indicated by a prolonged QRS duration, predicted an unsatisfying recovery in dogs with rapid pacing- induced heart failure. QRS duration had the potential to be a prognostic indicator for dogs with heart failure., Y. Wang ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy