Acclaimed equine cardiologist and ultrasonography pioneer Virginia B. Reef, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, ACVSMR, will help practitioners determine the significance of murmurs and arrhythmias and the resulting ramifications for their treatment and management. | Photo: Courtesy AAEP

Acclaimed equine cardiologist and ultrasonography pioneer Virginia B. Reef, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, ACVSMR, will help practitioners determine the significance of murmurs and arrhythmias and the resulting ramifications for their treatment and management when she delivers the Frank J. Milne State-of-the-Art Lecture on Monday, Dec. 3, at the 2018 American Association of Equine Practitioners’ (AAEP) Convention in San Francisco, California.

During her lecture, titled “Straight from the Heart: Untangling the Complexities of the Equine Cardiovascular System,” Reef will explain the etiology of murmurs ausculted and the severity of any regurgitation, shunts or myocardial dysfunction detected through the use of echocardiographic images and videos. Arrhythmias detected will be interpreted using electrocardiographic images and videos, both at rest and during exercise when indicated, to determine their impact. Treatment and management decisions will be discussed with an emphasis on factors that can be used to determine sale/insurability, future performance capability (from a cardiovascular perspective), longevity, and safety.

Reef is the Mark Whittier and Lila Griswold Allam Professor of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, where she has been on faculty for 30 years. A 1979 graduate of The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Reef completed a rotating internship in large animal medicine and surgery and a residency in large animal medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. She subsequently became director of the Large Animal Cardiology and Ultrasound Service and was instrumental in establishing the Section of Sports Medicine and Imaging at New Bolton Center, where she served as section chief for over 20 years