Wouldn't total AV nodal ablation destroy to autorhythmicity of the pacemaker? That would mean that below the AV node the rhythm would be provided by a ventricular foci, and those usually create wide QRS complexes.
For the ECG, I initially thought it was 2nd degree Type 1 because it seemed that the PR intervals were increasing until a beat was dropped, but if you look at it closely, some of the P waves were hidden in the QRS complexes. If you notice that, then you can see that there were regular P waves and regular QRS complexes, but there was a complete dissociation between them which means it was 3rd degree heart block, so the answer was ablation near the AV node.
UW Question Id: 1976 Testing a very similar concept and provides a great explanation for this!
This question is asking what would cause this! PR interval messing up is an issue at the AV node. So ablating the AV node would cause heart block.
In boards and beyond, It is said that third degree heart block is due to block in the HIS Purkinjee system. So why would ablation of AV node cause this disease?
Wouldnt destruction of part of left ventricle be a better answer ?
Regular rhythm (count the boxes, they're same), 1 unconducted p wave with regular rhythm --> atria and ventricles beating independently (likely ventricles ctrl by His-Purkinje) --> complete (3rd) heart block --> AVN ablation (this is actually done for pts with Afib sometimes)
I thought ablation of the av node was a tx for a fib not heart block?
I think the question refers to a scenario caused by ablation of a particular region of the heart.
If you look carefully there are some pre-mature ventricular beats (or rather just 1). Pre-mature ventricular beats can be caused by ablation of the AV node since the AV node is responsible for rhythm control by controlling the number of SA node impulses that are transmitted to the ventricular electrical network.
Patients who undergo an AV node ablation are also implanted with a pacemaker to help maintain a normal heart rate. Tx. for complete Block
The ECG shows a Mobitz Type 1 block (prolonging PR followed by a dropped wave. These blocks usually arise as a byproduct of a dysfunctional AV node, so ablation at the AV node is the most appropriate answer in this case
submitted by โamirmullick3(76)
ECG Tracings. The distance between QRS complexes is continuously about 6 boxes, so rate is unaffected. This is a 3rd degree block where teh atria and ventricles are beating independently of eachother and the RR is equivalent all along. The 2nd QRS complex is SUPER narrow, and others are also narrow, which means theyre depolarizing thanks to bundle of His.