ATRIOVENTRICULAR BLOCK

Course overview

ATRIOVENTRICULAR (AV) CONDUCTION IS EVALUATED BY ASSESSING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE P WAVES AND QRS COMPLEXES. NORMALLY, THERE IS A P WAVE THAT PRECEDES EACH QRS COMPLEX BY A FIXED PR INTERVAL OF 120 TO 200 MILLISECONDS. AV BLOCK REPRESENTS A DELAY OR DISTURBANCE IN THE TRANSMISSION OF AN IMPULSE FROM THE ATRIA TO THE VENTRICLES. THIS CAN BE DUE TO AN ANATOMICAL OR FUNCTIONAL IMPAIRMENT IN THE HEART’S CONDUCTION SYSTEM. THIS DISRUPTION IN NORMAL ELECTRICAL ACTIVITY CAN BE TRANSIENT OR PERMANENT, AND THEN FURTHER CHARACTERIZED AS DELAYED, INTERMITTENT, OR ABSENT. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE CAUSES, PATHOPHYSIOLOGY, AND DIAGNOSIS OF ATRIOVENTRICULAR BLOCK AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN THE MANAGEMENT OF THESE PATIENTS.