Emergency Medical Minute

Contributor: Dylan Luyten MD Educational Pearls: What is a Bradyarrhythmia? Also known as a bradyarrhythmia, it is an irregular heart rate that is also slow (below 60 beats per minute). What can cause it? Complete heart block AKA third-degree AV block; identified on ECG by a wide QRS, and complete dissociation between the atrial and ventricular rhythms with the ventricular being much slower. Treat with a pacemaker. Medication overdose, especially beta blockers. Many other drugs can slow the heart as well including: opioids, clonidine, digitalis, amiodarone, diltiazem, and verapamil to name a few. Electrolyte abnormalities, specifically hyperkalemia. Hypokalemia, hypocalcemia, and hypomagnesemia can also cause bradyarrhythmias. Myocardial infarction. Either by damaging the AV node or the conduction system itself or by triggering a process called Reperfusion Bradycardia. Hypothermia. Bradycardia is generally a sign of severe or advanced hypothermia. References Jurkovicová O, Cagán S. Reperfúzn