Bradycardia pathophysiology
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Bradycardia Microchapters |
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Diagnosis |
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Treatment |
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Bradycardia pathophysiology On the Web |
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: M.Umer Tariq [2]
Overview
Pathophysiology
It is difficult and sometimes impossible to assign a mechanism to any particular bradycardia. However, the underlying mechanism is not clinically relevant to treatment, which is the same in both cases of sick sinus syndrome: a permanent pacemaker.
There are generally two types of problems that result in bradycardias:
Disorders of the sinus node
- Impaired automaticity - Sinus node dysfunction/sick sinus syndrome)
- Exit block - Impaired conduction of the impulse from the sinus node into the surrounding atrial tissue
Disorders of the atrioventricular node (AV node)
- Atrioventricular conduction disturbances (1o AV block, 2o type I AV block, 2o type II AV block, 3o AV block) may result from impaired conduction in the AV node, or anywhere below it, such as in the bundle of HIS.