Atrioventricular (AV) block is partial or complete interruption of impulse transmission from the atria to the ventricles. The most common cause is idiopathic fibrosis and sclerosis of the conduction system. Diagnosis is by electrocardiography; symptoms and treatment depend on degree of block, but treatment, when necessary, usually involves pacing.
(See also Overview of Arrhythmias.)
The most common causes of AV block are
Idiopathic fibrosis and sclerosis of the conduction system (about 50% of patients)
Ischemic heart disease (40%)
The remaining cases of AV block are caused by
Increased vagal tone
Valvulopathy
Congenital heart, genetic, or other disorders
Atrioventricular block may be partial or complete. First-degree and second-degree blocks are partial. Third degree blocks are complete.
First-degree AV block
All normal P waves are followed by QRS complexes, but the PR interval is longer than normal (> 0.20 second—see figure First-degree atrioventricular block).
First-degree atrioventricular block
For first-degree block, conduction is slowed without skipped beats. All normal P waves are followed by QRS complexes, but the PR interval is longer than normal (> 0.2 second). For third-degree block, there is no relationship between P waves and QRS complexes, and the P wave rate is greater than the QRS rate. |
First-degree AV block may be physiologic in younger patients with high vagal tone and in well-trained athletes. First-degree AV block is rarely symptomatic, and no treatment is required. Further investigation may be indicated when first-degree AV block accompanies another heart disorder or appears to be caused by medication.
Second-degree AV block
Some normal P waves are followed by QRS complexes, but some are not. Two types exist:
Mobitz type I
Mobitz type II
In Mobitz type I second-degree AV block, the PR interval progressively lengthens with each beat until the atrial impulse is not conducted and the QRS complex is dropped (Wenckebach phenomenon); AV nodal conduction resumes with the next beat, and the sequence is repeated (see figure Mobitz type I second-degree AV block).
Mobitz Type I Second-Degree Atrioventricular Block
The PR interval progressively lengthens with each beat until the atrial impulse is not conducted and the QRS complex is dropped (Wenckebach phenomenon); atrioventricular nodal conduction resumes with the next beat, and the sequence is repeated. |
Image courtesy of L. Brent Mitchell, MD.
Mobitz type I second-degree AV block may be physiologic in younger and more athletic patients. The block occurs at the AV node in about 75% of patients with a narrow QRS complex and at infranodal sites (His bundle, bundle branches, or fascicles) in the rest. If the block becomes complete, a reliable junctional escape rhythm typically develops. Treatment is therefore unnecessary unless the block causes symptomatic bradycardia and transient or reversible causes have been excluded. Treatment is pacemaker insertion, which may also benefit asymptomatic patients with Mobitz type I second-degree AV block at infranodal sites detected by electrophysiologic studies done for other reasons.
In Mobitz type II second-degree AV block, the PR interval remains constant. Beats are intermittently nonconducted and QRS complexes dropped, usually in a repeating cycle of every 3rd (3:1 block) or 4th (4:1 block) P wave (see figure Mobitz type II 2nd-degree AV block).
Mobitz type II second-degree atrioventricular block
The PR interval remains constant. Beats are intermittently nonconducted, and QRS complexes dropped, usually in a repeating cycle of every 3rd (3:1 block) or 4th (4:1 block) P wave. |
Mobitz type II second-degree AV block is always pathologic; the block occurs at the His bundle in 20% of patients and in the bundle branches in the rest. Patients may be asymptomatic or experience light-headedness, presyncope, and syncope, depending on the ratio of conducted to blocked beats. Patients are at risk of developing symptomatic high-grade or complete AV block, in which the escape rhythm is likely to be ventricular and thus too slow and unreliable to maintain systemic perfusion; therefore, a pacemaker is indicated.
In high-grade second-degree AV block, every 2nd (or more) P wave is blocked (see figure Second-degree AV block (high grade)).
Second-degree atrioventricular block (high grade)
Every second P wave is blocked in this example of high-grade second-degree AV block. |
In patients with high-grade second-degree AV block, the distinction between Mobitz type I AV block and Mobitz type II AV block is difficult to make because 2 P waves are never conducted in a row. Risk of complete AV block is difficult to predict, and a pacemaker is usually indicated.
Patients with any form of second-degree AV block and a structural heart disorder should be considered candidates for permanent pacing unless there is a transient or reversible cause.
Third-degree AV block
Heart block is complete in third-degree AV block (see figure Third-degree AV block).
Third-degree atrioventricular block
There is no relationship between P waves and QRS complexes (AV dissociation) in third-degree AV block. The P wave rate is greater than the QRS rate. The underlying rhythm here is a junctional escape rhythm with narrow QRS complexes and a rate of approximately 65 beats/minute. |
There is no electrical communication between the atria and ventricles and thus no relationship between P waves and QRS complexes (AV dissociation). Cardiac function is maintained by an escape junctional or ventricular pacemaker. Escape rhythms originating above the bifurcation of the His bundle produce narrow QRS complexes, relatively rapid (> 40 beats/minute) and reliable heart rates, and mild symptoms (eg, fatigue, postural light-headedness, effort intolerance). Escape rhythms originating below the bifurcation produce wider QRS complexes, slower and unreliable heart rates, and more severe symptoms (eg, presyncope, syncope, heart failure). Signs include those of AV dissociation, such as cannon a waves, blood pressure fluctuations, and variation in loudness of the 1st heart sound (S1). Risk of asystole-related syncope and sudden death is greater if low escape rhythms are present.
Most patients require a pacemaker. If the block is caused by antiarrhythmic drugs
Most patients with congenital 3rd-degree AV block have a junctional escape rhythm that maintains a reasonable rate, but they require a permanent pacemaker before they reach middle age. Less commonly, patients with congenital AV block have a slow escape rhythm and require a permanent pacemaker at a young age, perhaps even during infancy.
Key Points
There are 3 degrees of AV block: first, second, and third.
First- and second-degree blocks are partial and third-degree block is complete.
First-degree AV block is rarely symptomatic and no treatment is required.
Second-degree AV block Mobitz type I may be physiologic and if heart rate slows, a reliable junctional escape rhythm typically develops and treatment is therefore unnecessary unless symptomatic bradycardia occurs.
Second-degree AV block Mobitz type II and third-degree AV block are always pathologic and a pacemaker is typically required unless the cause is transient or reversible.
