
Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Second degree AV block medical therapy
Introduction
Overview
Overview
Treatment for a Mobitz type I second-degree AV block (Wenckebach) is often not necessary. Occasionally Mobitz type 1 second degree AV blocks may result in bradycardia leading to hypotension and responds well to medications. If unresponsive to atropine or beta-adrenergic agonists, pacing (transcutaneous or transvenous) should be initiated for stabilization. If the patient is on any beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers or digoxin, the medications should be discontinued. All patients with Mobitz 1 block should be admitted and monitored. Treatment for a Mobitz type II involves initiating pacing as soon as this rhythm is identified. Mobitz type II second-degree AV blocks may imply structural damage to the AV conduction system. This rhythm often deteriorates into a complete heart block. These patients require transvenous pacing until a permanent pacemaker is placed. Unlike Mobitz type I second degree AV block (Wenckebach), Mobitz type II AV block often do not respond to atropine or beta-adrenergic agonists.
Medical Therapy
Medical Therapy
| Recommendations for acute medical therapy for bradycardia associated atrioventricular block |
| Atropine (Class IIa, Level of Evidence C): |
|
❑ Atropine is reasonable for patients with symptomatic bradycardia associated second-degree or third degree atrioventricular block at the atrioventricular nodal level |
| Beta adrenergic agonist (Class IIb, Level of Evidence B): |
|
❑ Beta adrenergic agonist such as isoproterenol, dopamine, dobutamine is recommended for symptomatic bradycardia associated second degree or third degree atrioventricular block with low likehood of ischemia |
| Aminophylline (Class IIb, Level of Evidence C): |
|
❑ Aminophylline is recommended for symptomatic bradycardia associated second or third degree atrioventricular block in the setting of acute inferior MI |
| The above table adopted from 2018 AHA/ACC/HRS Guideline[1] |
|---|
- Atropine is a parasympatholytic drug that increase atrioventricular nodal conduction and automaticity when atrioventricular block is at the atrioventricular nodal level or bradycardia is related to excess vagal tone.
- Dosage is 0.5- to 1.0-mg IV, may be repeated.
- Atropine may enhance atrioventricular conduction in the setting of inferior MI.
- For atrioventricular block at the level of His bundle or His-Purkinje, atropine may worsen atrioventricular conduction or compromise hemodynamic.
- Common adver effects of atropine include dry mouth, blurred vision, anhidrosis, urinary retention, and delirium , increased heart rate in the setting of MI.
- Beta-adrenergic agonists such as isoproterenol, dopamine, dobutamine, and epinephrine may have direct effect to increase atrioventricular nodal and, to a lesser degree, His-Purkinje conduction.
- The efficacy of dopamine was equal to transcutaneous pacing in 1 small randomized trial of patients with unstable bradycardia unresponsive to atropine.[2]
- Common adverse effects of beta-adrenergic agonists may include ventricular arrhythmias , induction of coronary ischemia, particularly in the setting of acute MI.
- Isoproterenol because of the vasodilatory effects may exacerbate hypotension.
- Aminophylline is a nonselective adenosine receptor antagonist and phosphodiesterase inhibitor.
- Safety and efficacy of aminophylline for reversing bradycardia associated atrioventricular block in the setting of excess adnosine production in inferior MI was shown. [3]
- There was no benefit for aminophylline in resuscitation for out-of-hospital brady-asystolic cardiac arrest based on a large randomized trial and a systematic review.[4]
| Recommendations for Acute Management of Bradycardia Attributable to Atrioventricular Block |
| Symptomatic sinus bradycardia or atrioventricular block |
|
❑ Atropine 0.5-1 mg IV (may be repeated every 3-5 min to a maximum dose of 3 mg) ❑ Isoproterenol 20-60 mcg IV bolus followed doses of 10-20 mcg, or infusion of 1-20 mcg/min based on heart rate response ❑ Epinephrine 2-10 mcg/min IV or 0.1-0.5 mcg/kg/min IV titrated to desired effect |
| Second or third degree atrioventricular block associated acute inferior MI : |
|
❑ Aminophylline 250-mg IV bolus |
| Calcium channel blocker overdose |
|
❑ 10% calcium chloride 1-2 g IV every 10-20 min or an infusion of 0.2-0.4 mL/kg/h |
| Betablocker or Calcium channel blocker overdose |
|
❑ Glucagon 3-10 mg IV with infusion of 3-5 mg/h |
| Digoxin overdose |
|
❑ Digoxin antibody fragment ❑ Dosage is dependent on the amount ingested or known digoxin concentration |
| Post heart transplant |
|
❑ Aminophylline 6 mg/kg in 100-200 mL of IV fluid over 20-30 min |
| Spinal cord injury |
|
❑ Aminophylline 6 mg/kg in 100-200 mL of IVfluid over 20-30 min |
| The above table adopted from 2018 AHA/ACC/HRS Guideline[1] |
|---|
Mobitz I
- Patients with type I second degree AV block are usually asymptomatic and do not require treatment.[5][6].
- Correction of reversible causes of the block such as ischemia, medications, and vagotonic conditions should be addressed[7].
- Transvenous or transcutaneous Pacing may be needed to stabilize the patient when bradycardia is unresponsive to medications.[5]
Mobitz II
- Correction of reversible causes of the block such as ischemia, medications, and vagotonic conditions should be considered.[8].
- Patients may need immediate transvenous pacing until a permanent pacemaker is placed[5].
- Treatment in emergency situations are atropine, adrenergic agonists, epinephrine and an external pacer.[9][10].
References
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Kusumoto, Fred M.; Schoenfeld, Mark H.; Barrett, Coletta; Edgerton, James R.; Ellenbogen, Kenneth A.; Gold, Michael R.; Goldschlager, Nora F.; Hamilton, Robert M.; Joglar, José A.; Kim, Robert J.; Lee, Richard; Marine, Joseph E.; McLeod, Christopher J.; Oken, Keith R.; Patton, Kristen K.; Pellegrini, Cara N.; Selzman, Kimberly A.; Thompson, Annemarie; Varosy, Paul D. (2019). “2018 ACC/AHA/HRS Guideline on the Evaluation and Management of Patients With Bradycardia and Cardiac Conduction Delay: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines and the Heart Rhythm Society”. Circulation. 140 (8). doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000628. ISSN 0009-7322.
- ↑ Hatle L, Rokseth R (July 1971). “Conservative treatment of AV block in acute myocardial infarction. Results in 105 consecutive patients”. Br Heart J. 33 (4): 595–600. doi:10.1136/hrt.33.4.595. PMC 487219. PMID 5557475.
- ↑ Morrison LJ, Long J, Vermeulen M, Schwartz B, Sawadsky B, Frank J, Cameron B, Burgess R, Shield J, Bagley P, Mausz V, Brewer JE, Dorian P (March 2008). “A randomized controlled feasibility trial comparing safety and effectiveness of prehospital pacing versus conventional treatment: ‘PrePACE‘“. Resuscitation. 76 (3): 341–9. doi:10.1016/j.resuscitation.2007.08.008. PMC 7126680 Check
|pmc=value (help). PMID 17933452. - ↑ Hurley KF, Magee K, Green R (November 2015). “Aminophylline for bradyasystolic cardiac arrest in adults”. Cochrane Database Syst Rev (11): CD006781. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD006781.pub3. PMID 26593309.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Mangi MA, Jones WM, Napier L. PMID 29493981. Missing or empty
|title=(help) - ↑ Hisamura M, Taguchi H, Hiraide A (January 2016). “Mobitz type 1 second-degree atrioventricular block by triazolam and brotizolam overdose”. Acute Med Surg. 3 (1): 57–58. doi:10.1002/ams2.121. PMC 5667231. PMID 29123752.
- ↑ Kashou AH, Goyal A, Nguyen T, Chhabra L. PMID 29083636. Missing or empty
|title=(help) - ↑ Li X, Xue Y, Wu H (2018). “A Case of Atrioventricular Block Potentially Associated with Right Coronary Artery Lesion and Ticagrelor Therapy Mediated by the Increasing Adenosine Plasma Concentration”. Case Rep Vasc Med. 2018: 9385017. doi:10.1155/2018/9385017. PMC 5933017. PMID 29850368.
- ↑ Barold SS, Herweg B (December 2012). “Second-degree atrioventricular block revisited”. Herzschrittmacherther Elektrophysiol. 23 (4): 296–304. doi:10.1007/s00399-012-0240-8. PMID 23224264.
- ↑ Wogan JM, Lowenstein SR, Gordon GS (1993). “Second-degree atrioventricular block: Mobitz type II”. J Emerg Med. 11 (1): 47–54. doi:10.1016/0736-4679(93)90009-v. PMID 8445186.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Sara Zand, M.D.[2] Mohammed Salih, M.D. Cafer Zorkun, M.D., Ph.D. [3] Syed Musadiq Ali M.B.B.S.[4]
