ELECTROCARDIOGRAPHIC RESPONSES TO DEER HUNTING VIA HOLTER MONITORING 121:

Deer hunters are frequently felled by acute myocardial infarction and sudden cardiac death. To evaluate the electrocardiographic (ECG) responses to deer hunting (DH), heart rate (HR) and rhythm were obtained on 10 male cardiac patients (pts) ([horizontal bar over]x age = 51 yrs) via holter monitoring and compared with treadmill exercise test (GXT) results. Peak HR during 6 different DH activities were expressed as percentages of maximal HR attained on GXT (% HRmax) and related to the upper limit (85% HRmax) commonly prescribed for aerobic exercise training. Peak HRs during walking (n = 10) ranged from 82-108% HRmax ([horizontal bar over]x = 95%). Peak HRs for sighting (n = 7) ranged from 63-112% HRmax ([horizontal bar over]x = 84%). Shooting and missing (n = 2) elicited 75% and 108% HRmax. Shooting and hitting(n = 2) evoked 88 and 107% HRmax; HR in these pts exceeded 85% HRmax for 15 and 8 minutes, respectively. Gutting (n = 2) precipitated peak HRs of 78 and 99% HRmax; HR remained above 85% HRmax for 12 minutes in the latter subject. One bow hunter logged tree climbing, yielding a peak HR of 89% HRmax. Overall, 7 of the 10 pts demonstrated relative HR responses > 85% HRmax for 3-23 minutes ([horizontal bar over]x = 9.6 minutes). Arrhythmias not apparent during GXT (n = 6) included junctional rhythms, PACs, PVCs, and ventricular couplets. Conclusion: DH activities can provoke both sustained supramaximal HRs and arrhythmias in excess of those documented during GXT. The strenuous nature of DH coupled with presumed hyperadrenergia may account for the numerous cardiovascular events reported during this activity.