NSG 3301 Lecture Notes - Lecture 44: Cardiac Arrhythmia, Catheter Ablation, Atrioventricular Node
Document Summary
Contractions of the heart are dependent on the unique electrical conduction system of the cardiac muscle. The conduction system connects to highly specialized cardiac cells that allow the heart to beat predictably and rhythmically. The system is composed of the sinoatrial (sa) node, and the atrioventrivular (av) node, the bundle of his, the bundle branches, and the purkinje bers. The sa node, in uenced by both the sympathetic and the parasympathetic nervous systems, is known as the pacemaker of the heart. It is important to understand how potassium, sodium, and calcium ions bring about electrical changes in the cardiac cells that stimulate contraction of the cardiac cells. Arrhythmias, also called dysrhythmias, are disturbance in the electrical activity of the heart. Some arrhythmias are insigni cant and do not create any problems for the patient. Others disrupt the function of the heart, increase the oxygen demand of the heart, and interfere with cardiac output.
