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- i 0

* VOL 60 NO 3
NWllla^ NV -%-SEPTEMBER 1979

c/In Official Journal ofthe aAmerican Heart c./Issociation, Inc.

CURRENT TOPICS
Second-degree Atrioventricular Block
DOUGLAS P. ZIPES, M.D.

WENCKEBACH"1 2 AND HAY,3 by analyzing the of rise of the upstroke (dV/dt), overshoot, safety fac-
A, C and V waves in the jugular venous pulse, tor for conduction and threshold of activation, com-
described two types of second-degree atrioventricular pared with cells in the His-Purkinje system.56
(AV) block. After the introduction of the electrocar- Recovery of excitability in AV nodal cells is delayed
diograph, Mobitz4 classified the two types of block as beyond the time for restoration of the membrane
type I and type II. Electrocardiographically, typical potential to its full diastolic potential (time
type I second-degree AV block is characterized by dependence),7 while refractoriness is voltage-
progressive PR prolongation culminating in a noncon- dependent in normal cells of the His-Purkinje system.
ducted P wave, while in type II second-degree AV Summation is another feature of AV nodal cells.5 8
block, the PR interval remains constant before the Based on studies in the rabbit AV node,9 the middle or
blocked P wave. In both instances, the AV block is in- N portion does not exhibit automaticity, while normal
termittent, generally repetitive and may involve cells of the His-Purkinje system commonly undergo
several P waves in a row. Usually, the eponym Mobitz spontaneous diastolic depolarization.
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type I and Mobitz type II AV block is applied to the The ionic currents responsible for the depolariza-
two types of block, while the term "Wenckebach tion and repolarization of cardiac cells appear to be
block" refers to type I AV block only. different for AV nodal cells and cells in the His-
The purpose of this paper is to provide both a brief Purkinje system. In the His-Purkinje system, the fast,
review of clinically relevant electrophysiologic and inward, sodium current, which is responsible for the
electrocardiographic concepts of AV conduction and rapid upstroke of the cardiac action potential, triggers
block, and a critical evaluation of the present a second, slower current carried by calcium (and
classification of second-degree AV block. possibly sodium) ions, which is responsible primarily
for the plateau phase of the cardiac action potential.
Electrophysiological Characteristics of the AV Node These two inward currents, interdependent and more
and His-Purkinje System complex than simply a rapid current followed by a
Since the difference between type I and type II AV slow component, are present in specialized conducting
block, in most instances, probably relates to the site at tissues and in atrial and ventricular muscle cells.'0-13 In
which the block occurs, it is important to review the the N region of the AV node, it is possible that only
electrophysiological properties of the tissues involved. the second, slow current may be operative, and
Transmembrane action potentials recorded from propagation through this area may occur normally
cells within the AV node differ markedly from those without engaging the fast component.6 14-16 Cells on
recorded in the His-Purkinje system. AV nodal cells either side of the AV node may demonstrate a con-
display reduced action potential amplitude, duration, tinuum: Depending upon their distance from the N
resting potential, conduction velocity, maximum rate region, these cells show progressively less dependence
on the slow-current contribution to depolarization.17
Slow-channel blockers, such as manganese'4' 15 and
From the Krannert Institute of Cardiology, the Department of verapamil,'5' 16 strikingly depress AV nodal propaga-
Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, the Veterans Ad- tion without significantly affecting conduction in the
ministration Hospital, Indianapolis, Indiana. His-Purkinje system or in ventricular or atrial muscle.
Supported in part by the Herman C. Krannert Fund, grants HL-
06308, HL-07182 and HL-18795 from the NHLBI, NIH, Bethesda, Tetrodotoxin, the poison obtained from the puffer
Maryland, and by the American Heart Association, Indiana fish, blocks the fast channel,'8 19 making His-Purkinje
Affiliate, Inc. cells inexcitable, and fails to inhibit AV nodal ac-
Aadress for reprints: Douglas P. Zipes, M.D., Indiana University tivity. 14
School of Medicine, 1100 West Michigan Street, Indianapolis, In- These distinctive electrophysiologic differences
diana 46202.
Received January 15, 1978; revision accepted March 8, 1979. between normal cells in the AV node and normal cells
Circulation 60, No. 3, 1979. in the His-Purkinje system account for differences in
465
466 ClIRCULATION VOL 60, No 3, SEPTEMBER 1979

the nature of conduction and block.20 Subjecting cells has been suggested that the two types of block may be
in the His-Purkinje system to a variety of interven- different manifestations of the same electro-
tions, such as ischemia, elevated potassium concen- physiologic mechanism.43-45
trations or other ionic perturbations, depolarizing
currents, or superfusion with ionic blockers such as Evaluation of Electrophysiologic Evidence
tetrodotoxin, may depress the normal fast response for One Type of Second-degree AV Block
and, under appropriate circumstances, may evoke El-Sherif et al.43 showed that dogs subjected to liga-
slow conduction that can be a typical slow response, a tion of the anterior septal artery developed second-
depressed fast response, or possibly a mixture of the degree AV block in the proximal His-Purkinje system.
two (for review, see Cranefield'3). Such depressed His- After coronary artery occlusion, the block was ini-
Purkinje conduction may respond more like the nor- tially preceded by no perceptible or only 1-2-msec in-
mal AV node and show large increments in conduc- crements in conduction time. After 1-2 hours, the in-
tion time before a blocked impulse. crement in conduction time before the block increased
Mechanisms of Block 100-200 msec. Upon recovery of the excised tissue
during superfusion in vitro, the large increments that
Various mechanisms have been proposed to explain occurred before the blocked impulse once again
the nature of type I block, including fatigue,2' ac- decreased, but not consistently in each preparation.44
cumulation of extracellular potassium ions22 and en- These observations were offered as support for the
croachment of succeeding impulses on incompletely concept that second-degree AV block encompassed a
recovered tissue,23 24 possibly due to prolongation of spectrum that ranged from no perceptible or small in-
the absolute and relative refractory periods.25 Slow crements preceding the blocked impulse "at an early
conduction can result in lengthening of the action stage of departure from normal" to increments of
potential duration and the refractory period,26 27 several hundred milliseconds as the abnormality in-
leading to a positive feedback interplay of RP and PR creased. The authors suggested that type I and type II
intervals that progresses to the point of block.28 The AV block "represent various degrees of the same elec-
block then shortens the action potential duration and trophysiologic mechanism," differing only quan-
refractoriness in fibers that were activated proximal to titatively, in the size of the increments.45
the site of block, and the sequence restarts. While these studies43"- demonstrated that ischemia
Decremental conduction, in which the properties of can alter conduction and block in the His-Purkinje
the fiber change along its length so that the action system, the data do not support the conclusion that the
potential loses its efficacy as a stimulus for the unex- mechanism giving rise to the block preceded by small
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cited fiber ahead of it, may be responsible for type I increments was the same as when the block was
block.5' 29 Alternatively, electrotonus may play an im- preceded by large increments. In these studies, El-
portant role.30 Decreased stimulating efficacy of a Sherif and colleagues compared the response of cells
transmitted electrotonic potential, rather than a in the His-Purkinje system exposed to short periods of
regenerative, propagating impulse, has been suggested ischemia with that of cells exposed to long periods of
as the cause of Wenckebach periodicity.3' ischemia. If these cells were electrophysiologically
Recently, it was demonstrated during 4:3 AV nodal different - and it is likely that they were after ex-
Wenckebach cycles in the dog, that the effective posure to different durations of ischemia - the cause
refractory period after the fourth (blocked) beat was of the initial block may have differed from the
shorter than after any other beat. The effective refrac- mechanism that caused the later block. Also, the site
tory period cumulatively and progressively increased of early and late block may have changed. These in-
in succeeding cycles, so that the effective refractory vestigators observed that paroxysmal AV block (that
period of the third beat exceeded the duration of the is, block of multiple, successive P waves) only oc-
basic cycle length, and caused the fourth beat to curred early, when the increments were still small, and
block.32 The functional refractory period, on the other could not be produced in their preparation when the
hand, decreased in succeeding Wenckebach cycles, increments were large.45 This finding also supports the
primarily because the control conduction time in- concept that the two types of block are different.
creased in successive beats of the cycle.33 From these43"- and other studies of block in the
Other phenomena implicated in the genesis of block His-Purkinje system, several facts emerge: I) Most,46
include automaticity,34 3 geometric configuration of but possibly not all,42' 47 examples of apparent type II
the tissue,36 the role of intercellular connections,37 uni- AV block in the His-Purkinje system are preceded by
formity of the propagating wavefront,38 alterations in small increments in conduction time that can be found
excitability,39 and concealed re-entry.40 All of these if carefully searched for. 2) The His-Purkinje system,
factors may be modulated in vivo by potential both in animals and in patients who appear to have
hemodynamic alterations and the influence of the typical type II AV block, can be perturbed by
autonomic nervous system.4" ischemia48 or other factors (figs. 1 and 2) to show large
Despite multiple mechanisms that may be responsi- increments in conduction before the blocked impulse.
ble for causing type I AV block, relatively few However, increments in conduction time before a
hypotheses have been advanced to explain the elec- blocked impulse, whether large or small or present or
trophysiologic basis of type II AV block.42 Recently, it absent, are descriptive phenomena and cannot be
SECOND-DEGREE AV BLOCK/Zipes 467

HH467-SV268212-5

FIGURE 1. Type II second-degree A V block in a patient with left-axis deviation and right bundle branch
block. During right atrial pacing at a constant cycle length (510 msec), P waves intermittently blocked in the
His-Purkinje system, distal to the His bundle recording site. No change occurred in the duration of the PR
interval (188 msec), AH interval (125 msec) or HV interval (42 msec) before or after the blocked P wave.
A = atrial deflection; H = His deflection; V = ventricular deflection; RA = right atrial electrogram;
S = stimulus. Leads I, II, III and V1 are scalar leads. The paper speed was 100 mm/sec; time lines = I
second.
equated with the electrophysiologic mechanisms that second-degree AV block may be too simplistic, as it is
give rise to the block. Block can result from complex based on a description of only input and output data:
interactions of multiple mechanisms.5' 21-42 A certain number of atrial impulses enter a "black
The present classification of only two types of box," i.e., the AV node and His-Purkinje system, and
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Vi

AH ~~ ~~
~~~~~~A
~h H
RA- UVH H4

s ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~HH4
8212-5
V26 70-S

FIGURE 2. Increase in the HV interval before block in the same patient as in figure 1. Continuous record-
ing: The stimulus and part of the last paced atrial complex (unlabeled) in the top recording are repeated as
the first stimulus andfirst paced atrial complex in the bottom recording. Right atrial pacing at a shorter cy-
cle length (450 msec) than in figure 1 resulted in 3:2 conduction. The HV interval increased from 44 to 81
msec before the blocked P wave and shortened to 44 msec after the block. The PR interval only increased
from 197 to 226 msec before the block, because ofshortening of the AH intervalfrom 133 to 125 msec. Note
a slight change in the contour of the second QRS complex, when the HV interval prolonged. A = atrial
deflection; H = His deflection; V = ventricular deflection; RA = right atrial electrogram; S = stimulus.
Paper speed was 250 mm/sec.
468 CIRCULATION VOL 60, No 3, SEPTEMBER 1979

a certain number of His-Purkinje or ventricular im- type I intrahisian block."4 Type II AV block, par-
pulses exit in a certain pattern. From an analysis of ticularly when it occurs with a bundle branch block, is
these patterns, one attempts to deduce the mech- localized in the His-Purkinje system."-"' Type I AV
anisms that cause the block. Probably, different elec- block in a patient with a bundle branch block may
trophysiologic mechanisms within the "black box" represent block in the AV node or in the His-Purkinje
can cause similar patterns to emerge, and, conversely, system." Type II AV block in a patient with a normal
similar electrophysiologic mechanisms can produce QRS complex may be due to intrahisian AV block,
different emerging patterns. Even if the "black box" is but the block is likely to be type I AV nodal block,
partially opened, and the cells are studied by the which exhibits small increments in AV conduction
microelectrode technique," depressed transmem- time."6
brane potentials may appear remarkably similar,'3 The above generalizations encompass the vast ma-
but be ionically and therefore, "mechanistically" jority of patients who present with second-degree AV
distinct. block. However, certain caveats must be heeded to
avoid misdiagnosis because of subtle ECG changes or
Differentiating Type I and Type II exceptions:
Second-degree AV Block 1) Two:one AV block may be a form of type I or
Although the classification is descriptive, clinically type II AV block (fig. 3). If the QRS complex is nor-
separating second-degree AV block into type I and mal, the block is more likely to be type I, located in
the AV node, and one should search for a transition of
type II serves a useful function, and, in most instances, the 2: 1 block to 3:2 block, during which the PR inter-
the differentiation can be made easily and reliably val lengthens in the second cardiac cycle. If a bundle
from the surface ECG. branch block is present, the block may be located
Clinically, type II AV block often antedates the either in the AV node or in the His-Purkinje system.
development of Adam-Stokes syncope and complete 2) AV block may occur simultaneously at two or
AV block, while type I AV block with a normal QRS more levels, and render the distinction between type I
complex is generally more benign, and does not and type II difficult.
progress to more advanced forms of AV conduction 3) If the atrial rate varies, it may alter conduction
disturbance.495' In the patient with an acute myocar- times and cause type I AV block to simulate type II or
dial infarction, type I AV block usually accompanies change type II AV block into type I. For example, if
an inferior myocardial infarction, is transient and does the shortest atrial cycle length that just achieved 1:1
not require temporary pacing, while type II AV block AV nodal conduction at a constant PR interval is
results in the setting of an acute anterior myocardial decreased by as little as 10 or 20 msec, the P wave of
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infarction, may require temporary or permanent pac- the shortened cycle may block at the level of the AV
ing, and is associated with a high mortality.50 52 node without an increase in the antecedent PR inter-
While type I conduction disturbance is ubiquitous val.4' Apparent type II AV block in the His-Purkinje
and may occur in any tissue in the in situ heart, as well system (fig. 1) may be converted to type I in the His-
as in vitro, the site of block for the usual forms of Purkinje system (fig. 2) in some patients by increasing
second-degree AV block can be judged with sufficient the atrial rate.
reliability from the surface ECG to permit clinical 4) Concealed premature His depolarizations may
decisions without requiring invasive electrophysiologic create electrocardiographic patterns that simulate
studies in most instances (table 1). Type I AV block type I or type II AV block (fig. 4).57, 58
with a normal QRS complex almost always takes 5) Abrupt, transient alterations in autonomic tone
place at the level of the AV node (proximal to the His may cause sudden block of one or more P waves
bundle).5 An exception is the uncommon patient with without altering the PR interval of the conducted P
wave before or after the block.'9 Thus, apparent type
TABLE 1. Site of Second-degree Atrioventricular Block II AV block would be produced at the A-V node. In
the absence of atrial pacing, a burst of vagal tone
Type of block Normal QRS BBB would probably lengthen the PP interval as well as
Type I AVN > > > > HPS AVN > HPS produce AV block.4'
Type II HPS>AVN HPS> > > >AVN 6) The response of the AV block to autonomic
1:1-s2:1; fixed changes, either spontaneous or induced, to distinguish
2:1 or greater HPS = AVN HPS > > AVN type I from type II AV block, may be misleading.
Though it is considered that vagal stimulation
Except for the location of type I atrioventricular block with generally increases and atropine decreases the extent
a normal QRS and type II atrioventricular block with a
bundle branch block, quantitative data regarding the other of type I AV block,60 61 such conclusions are based on
sites of block are not available and these statements must be the assumption that the intervention acts primarily on
regarded as the author's impressions. AV conduction and fail to consider rate changes. For
Abbreviations: AVN = atrioventricular node; HPS example, an injection of atropine that minimally im-
His-Purkinje system; BBB = bundle branch block. Arrows proves conduction in the AV node, but markedly in-
( >) indicate relative frequency of second-degree atrioven-
tricular block at different sites, with one arrow meaning creases the heart rate, can increase AV conduction
slightly more frequenit, anid four arrows meaning far more time and the degree of block as a result of the faster
frequent. atrial rate. Conversely, if an increase in vagal tone,
SECOND-DEGREE AV BLOCK/Zipes 469

HH220
677006

A VI A

I II) N N % N

I 0~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I

II

W 8 \ l l ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~205965
BAE__, - ¢ 1{* '

AHA A
H{i
BHrL,-- --- gA
AH75 ,
HV30
BEE -

FIGURE 3. Two: one second-degree A V block distal (top panel) and proximal (bottom panel) to the His
bundle recording site in two different patients. Conventions as in figure 1. BEE = bipolar esophageal re-
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cording; BAE = bipolar atrial electrogram; BHE = bipolar His electrogram. (Reproduced with permission
from Zipes DP, Watanabe A W, Besch HR: Clinical electrophysiology and electrocardiography, In The
Science and Practice of Clinical Medicine. Clinical Cardiology, edited by Wilkerson JT, Sanders CA. New
York, Grune and Stratton, 1977, pp 235-248.)

produced pharmacologically or by carotid sinus PR Shortening after the Blocked P Wave


massage, minimally prolongs AV conduction time,
but greatly slows the heart rate, the net effect on type I The duration of the PR interval of the first P wave
AV block may be an improvement in conduction. that conducts to the ventricle after AV block is a
Analogous examples can be proposed for changes source of disagreement. After discounting AV junc-
effected by alterations in adrenergic tone due to infu- tional escape complexes that follow a nonconducted
sion of isoproterenol or after exercise. sinus P wave at a short interval, the question is: In
7) During type I AV block with high ratios of con- type II AV block, can the PR interval after the
ducted beats, the increment in the PR interval may be blocked P wave shorten and if so by how much? Does
quite small and simulate type II AV block if only the "marked" shortening (i.e., >20 msec)64 eliminate the
last few PR intervals before the blocked P wave are possibility of type II AV block?
measured. By comparing the PR interval of the first During type I or type II second-degree AV block,
beat in the long Wenckebach cycle with that of those the PR interval after the blocked P wave generally is
beats immediately preceding the blocked P wave, the the shortest, because the pause after the blocked P
increment in AV conduction becomes readily ap- wave provides a period of recovery for conduction dis-
parent.62 tal to the site of block. Increments in AV conduction
8) Finally, the classic AV Wenckebach structure time that accrued during the sequence of conducted
depends on a stable atrial rate and a maximum incre- beats before the block are lost in this recovery period,
ment in AV conduction time for the second PR inter- and the PR interval usually shortens by an amount
val of the Wenckebach cycle, with progressive equal to this increment.
decrease in subsequent beats. Unstable or unusual During the usual type I AV nodal block, the in-
alterations in the increment or atrial rate, often seen crements in AV conduction time are fairly large, and
with long Wenckebach cycles, result in atypical forms the decrease in the PR interval after the blocked P
of type I AV block and are quite common.32 63 wave will be similarly large. During the usual type II
470 CIRCULATION VOL 60, No 3, SEPTEMBER 1979

FIGURE 4. Concealed discharge from the


bundle of His mimicking first-degree (top
panel), type I (middle panel) and type II
(bottom panel) second-degree A V block.
Numbers are in milliseconds. Time
lines- 1 second (magnification not the
same in all three panels). Conventions as in
figure 1. Numbers in the bipolar His elec-
trogram (BHE) indicate the A H interval;
the HV interval was constant. Numbers in
lead II indicate the PR interval. HH refers
to the interval between His responses in nor-
mally conducted cycles. HH' refers to the in-
terval between the last normal His discharge
and premature His discharge. H'-A refers to
the interval between the premature His
depolarization and the following normal
sinus-initiated atrial discharge. H' blocked
before reaching the atria retrogradely and
the ventricles antegradely. H' invaded the
A V node and resulted in lengthening of the
H-HIM
,
A H interval or, in A V nodal block, of the
I liI
following atrial depolarization. (Repro-
duced with permission from Bonner AJ,
OOOM% Zipes DP: Lidocaine and His bundle extra-
I I iv
svstoles. His bundle discharge conducted
normally, conducted with functional right or
left bundle branch block or blocked entirely
(concealed). Arch Intern Med 136: 700,
1976.)
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AV block in the His-Purkinje system, the increments, likely to result from AV nodal conduction delay (and
if any, in His-Purkinje conduction time are small or block), with or without concomitant His-Purkinje
nonmeasurable. In this instance, the PR interval after conduction delay. Second, when second-degree AV
the blocked P wave will shorten minimally or not at block occurs during incomplete AV dissociation,
all. However, if the increments in the His-Purkinje variations in the PR interval that reflect the usual in-
conduction time are large (fig. 2), the reduction in the verse relationship between RP and PR intervals
PR interval will also be large, even exceeding 20 msec. generally are due to changes in AV nodal conduction
However, the argument is sophistic because, given the time and suggest that the block is type I; constant PR
latter situation, the block is called type I in the His- intervals during ventricular captures are more consis-
Purkinje system, rather than type II, and large in- tent with the presence of type II AV block.64 Finally,
crements, as well as marked PR shortening, are ex- although it is clear that large increments in the PR in-
pected. terval before the blocked P wave and a large decre-
Finally, the PR interval in the scalar ECG is made ment in the PR interval after the blocked P wave may
up of conduction through the atrium, the AV node and occur with His-Purkinje block, such PR changes
the His-Purkinje system. An increment in HV conduc- would be more consistent with, though not diagnostic
tion can be masked in the scalar ECG by a reduction of, type I AV nodal block.
in the AH interval, and the resulting PR interval will Some patients may require an electrophysiologic
not reflect the entire increment in His-Purkinje con- (His bundle) study to determine with certainty the
duction time (fig. 2). The AH interval can shorten due nature and site of block. For example, patients with
to changes in autonomic tone, multiple AV nodal type I AV block and a bundle branch block, those with
pathways, concealed conduction or other reasons. type II AV block and a normal QRS complex, those
Also, a shorter AH interval must shorten the HH in- with fixed 2: 1, or greater, degrees of block and those
terval of the preceding cycle, a change that can be con- with a type of block that does not appear to conform
ducive to His-Purkinje conduction delay or block. to any of the patterns mentioned, may profit from
These potential variations in the duration of the PR such a study.
interval make difficult the accurate deduction of the
type of block based on a particular pattern of the Limitation of Measurements
duration of the PR interval immediately before and
after the blocked P wave.45 Nevertheless, certain Measurement errors may prevent small changes in
generalizations about the PR interval can be made. conduction time from being detected. At the standard
First, very long PR intervals (>200 msec) are more electrocardiographic paper speed of 25 mm/sec, a
SECOND-DEGREE AV BLOCK/Zipes 471

finely drawn line or the tip of the commonly used branes. Progr Biophys Mol Biol 26: 1, 1973
caliper has a width equal to approximately 5 msec; at 13. Cranefield PF: The Conduction of the Cardiac Impulse. Mt.
Kisco, New York, Futura Pub Co, 1975
a paper speed of 100 mm/sec (the usual recording 14. Zipes DP, Mendez C: Action of manganese ions and
speed for electrophysiologic studies in man) the line or tetrodotoxin on AV nodal transmembrane potentials in isolated
caliper tip has a width of 1 or 2 msec. Recording rabbit hearts. Circ Res 32: 447, 1973
speeds in the range of 250 mm/sec may be required to 15. Zipes DP, Fischer JC: Effects of agents which inhibit the slow
channel on sinus node automaticity and atrioventricular con-
detect 1- or 2-msec changes (fig. 2). duction in the dog. Circ Res 34: 184, 1974
16. Wit AL, Cranefield PF: Effect of verapamil on the sinoatrial
Summary and atrioventricular nodes of the rabbit and the mechanism by
1) While it is possible only one type of second- which it arrests re-entrant atrioventricular nodal tachycardia.
Circ Res 35: 413, 1974
degree AV block exists electrophysiologically, the 17. Benitez D, Mascher D, Alanis J: The electrical activity of the
available data do not justify such a conclusion and it bundle of His. The fast and slow inward currents. Pfluegers
would seem more appropriate to remain a "splitter," Arch 345: 61, 1973
and advocate separation and definition of multiple 18. Narahashi T, Moore JW, Scott WR: Tetrodotoxin blockage of
mechanisms, than to be a "lumper," and embrace a sodium conductance increase in lobster giant axons. J Gen
Physiol 47: 965, 1964
unitary concept. 19. Hagiwara S, Nakajima S: Differences in Na and Ca spikes as
2) The clinical classification of type I and type II examined by application of tetrodotoxin, procaine and
AV block, based on present scalar electrocar- manganese ions. J Gen Physiol 49: 793, 1966
diographic criteria, for the most part accurately 20. Zipes DP, Besch HR, Watanabe AM: Role of the slow current
in cardiac electrophysiology. Circulation 51: 761, 1975
differentiates clinically important categories of 21. Lewis T, Master AM: Observations on conduction in the mam-
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a useful function and should be preserved, taking into 22. Scher AM, Rodriguez MI, Liikane J, Young AC: The
account the caveats mentioned above. The site of mechanism of atrioventricular conduction. Circ Res 7: 54, 1959
23. Decherd GM, Ruskin A: The mechanism of the Wenckebach
block generally determines the clinical course for the type of A-V block. Br Heart J 8: 6, 1946
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it occurs in the His-Purkinje system. Similar logic can 27. Cranefield PF, Klein HO, Hoffman BF: Conduction of the car-
diac impulse. I. Delay, block and one-way block in depressed
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