Sinoatrial block Sinoatrial block A sinoatrial block is a disorder in the normal rhythm of the heart, known as a heart block, that is initiated in the sinoatrial node. The initial action impulse in a heart is usually formed in the sinoatrial node (SA node) and carried through the atria, down the internodal atrial pathways to the atrioventricular node (AV) node. In normal conduction, the impulse would travel across the bundle of His (AV bundle), down the bundle branches, and into the Purkinje fibers. This would depolarize the ventricles and cause them to contract. In an SA block, the electrical impulse is
Sinoatrial block lengthening of conduction time from the SA node to the atria. The p-cells in the centre of the node produce the rhythm at a regular rate, but their conduction across the node to where it meets atrial tissue is where the slowing occurs. A second degree type II, or sinus exit block, is a regular rhythm that may be normal or slow. It is followed by a pause that is a multiple of the P-P interval usually (2-4) . Conduction across the SA node is normal until the time of the pause when it is blocked. A third degree sinoatrial