What does a junctional rhythm indicate?
What does a junctional rhythm indicate?
Junctional rhythm describes an abnormal heart rhythm resulting from impulses coming from a locus of tissue in the area of the atrioventricular node, the “junction” between atria and ventricles. Junctional rhythm.
How do you identify a junctional rhythm?
A junctional rhythm is characterized by QRS complexes of morphology identical to that of sinus rhythm without preceding P waves. This rhythm is slower than the expected sinus rate. When this rhythm completely takes over the pacemaker activity of the heart, retrograde P waves and AV dissociation can be seen.
What causes a junctional rhythm?
The junctional rhythm initiates within the AV nodal tissue. Accelerated junctional rhythm is a result of enhanced automaticity of the AVN that supersedes the sinus node rate. During this rhythm, the AVN is firing faster than the sinus node, resulting in a regular narrow complex rhythm.
Is junctional rhythm atrial fibrillation?
The classic exception is junctional rhythm with ventriculoatrial dissociation due to digitalis intoxication. This is apt to occur during atrial fibrillation, when excess digitalis is given in an effort to slow the ventricular response.
What are the three types of junctional rhythms?
The three types of junctional rhythm are categorized according to the resulting heart rate. In order of ascending beats per minute (bpm), these are junctional rhythm (or junctional escape rhythm), accelerated junctional rhythm, and junctional tachycardia.
Is a junctional rhythm a heart block?
Other than the above-listed causes of severe SA node disease, which can result in junctional rhythm, a high-grade second-degree heart block and a third-degree heart block can also result in a junctional rhythm.
What is the most common initial treatment for a junctional rhythm?
Treatment of junctional beats and rhythm Symptomatic junctional rhythm is treated with atropine. Doses and alternatives are similar to management of bradycardia in general.
What to do if a patient is in a junctional rhythm?
Medical Care
- No pharmacologic therapy is needed for asymptomatic, otherwise healthy individuals with junctional rhythms that result from increased vagal tone.
- In patients with complete AV block, high-grade AV block, or symptomatic sick sinus syndrome (ie, sinus node dysfunction), a permanent pacemaker may be needed.
Can you live with junctional rhythm?
AV nodal junctional rhythms generally are well tolerated; however, bradycardia for prolonged periods often causes symptoms such as dizziness and presyncope or, rarely, frank syncope in younger patients.
