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Electrophysiological mechanisms of reentrant ventricular tachyarrhythmias

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Signal Averaged Electrocardiography

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Abstract

Reentrant excitation is an important mechanism for ventricular tachyarrhythmias. A better understanding of this mechanism will provide a basis for improved management. Reentrant excitation occurs when the propagating impulse does not die out after complete activation of the heart, as is normally the case, but persists to reexcite the atria or ventricles after the end of the refractory period. Reentrant excitation can be subdivided into circus movement excitation and reflection. In circus movement reentry, the activation wave-front encounters a site of unidirectional conduction block and propagates in a circuitous pathway before reexciting the tissue proximal to the site of block after expiration of its refractory period. In contrast, in the reflection model of reentrant excitation impulse transmission in both directions is over the same pathway1. The role of reflection in clinical arrhythmias has not been established. Only circus movement reentry will be discussed in this chapter.

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Authors
  1. Nabil El-Sherif
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. The Mount Sinai School of Medicine of CUNY, USA

    J. Anthony Gomes (Professor of Medicine, Director) (Professor of Medicine, Director)

  2. Section of Electrocardiography and Electrophysiology, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, USA

    J. Anthony Gomes (Professor of Medicine, Director) (Professor of Medicine, Director)

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© 1993 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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El-Sherif, N. (1993). Electrophysiological mechanisms of reentrant ventricular tachyarrhythmias. In: Gomes, J.A. (eds) Signal Averaged Electrocardiography. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-0894-2_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-0894-2_3

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-4386-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-011-0894-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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