Skip to main content
PMC home page
British Heart Journal logoLink to British Heart Journal
. 1977 Jul;39(7):771–777. doi: 10.1136/hrt.39.7.771

Indirect measurement of sinoatrial conduction time in patients with sinoatrial disease and in controls.

B Crook, D Kitson, M McComish, D Jewitt
PMCID: PMC483315  PMID: 884027

Abstract

Clinical recognition of sinoatrial disease currently depends on the presence of transient sinus bradycardia, sinoatrial block, or supraventricular tachyarrhythmias. The value of clinical electrophysiological assessment in these patients is not clear. Using intracardiac electrophysiological recordings and programmed stimulation we have examined 14 patients with sinoatrial disease and 11 control patients undergoing investigation for chest pain. Intracardiac conduction times were normal in all patients. There was no significant difference of sinus node recovery times between the sinoatrial disease and control groups. Sinoatrial conduction times were measured by the indirect method and two populations were identified. However, the mean values of 128 +/- 27 ms in patients and 112 +/- 30 ms in controls were not significantly different and major overlap rendered this measurement clinically valueless. It is concluded that no current electrophysiological measurement has diagnostic value in patients with sinoatrial disease.

Full text

PDF
771

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bonke F. I., Bouman L. N., Schopman F. J. Effect of an early atrial premature beat on activity of the sinoatrial node and atrial rhythm in the rabbit. Circ Res. 1971 Dec;29(6):704–715. doi: 10.1161/01.res.29.6.704. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bonke F. I., Bouman L. N., van Rijn H. E. Change of cardiac rhythm in the rabbit after an atrial premature beat. Circ Res. 1969 Apr;24(4):533–544. doi: 10.1161/01.res.24.4.533. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bouvrain Y., Slama R., Temkine J. Le bloc sino-auriculaire et les "maladies du sinus": réflexions à propos de 63 observations. Arch Mal Coeur Vaiss. 1967 Jun;60(6):753–773. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Crook B. R., Cashman P. M., Stott F. D., Raftery E. B. Tape monitoring of the electrocardiogram in ambulant patients with sinoatrial disease. Br Heart J. 1973 Oct;35(10):1009–1013. doi: 10.1136/hrt.35.10.1009. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Crook B. R., Cashman P. M. The R-R interval histogram. Postgrad Med J. 1976;52 (Suppl 7):46–53. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. DE CARVALHO A. P., DE MELLO W. C., HOFFMAN B. F. Electrophysiological evidence for specialized fiber types in rabbit atrium. Am J Physiol. 1959 Mar;196(3):483–488. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1959.196.3.483. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Goldreyer B. N., Damato A. N. Sinoatrial-node entrance block. Circulation. 1971 Nov;44(5):789–802. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.44.5.789. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Gupta P. K., Lichstein E., Chadda K. D., Badui E. Appraisal of sinus nodal recovery time in patients with sick sinus syndrome. Am J Cardiol. 1974 Sep;34(3):265–270. doi: 10.1016/0002-9149(74)90025-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Klein H. O., Singer D. H., Hoffman B. F. Effects of atrial premature systoles on sinus rhythm in the rabbit. Circ Res. 1973 Apr;32(4):480–491. doi: 10.1161/01.res.32.4.480. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Mandel W., Hayakawa H., Danzig R., Marcus H. S. Evaluation of sino-atrial node function in man by overdrive suppression. Circulation. 1971 Jul;44(1):59–66. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.44.1.59. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Masini G., Dianda R., Graziina A. Analysis of sino-atrial conduction in man using premature atrial stimulation. Cardiovasc Res. 1975 Jul;9(4):498–508. doi: 10.1093/cvr/9.4.498. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Narula O. S., Samet P., Javier R. P. Significance of the sinus-node recovery time. Circulation. 1972 Jan;45(1):140–158. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.45.1.140. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Reiffel J. A., Bigger J. T., Jr, Konstam M. A. The relationship between sinoatrial conduction time and sinus cycle length during spontaneous sinus arrhythmia in adults. Circulation. 1974 Nov;50(5):924–934. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.50.5.924. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Strauss H. C., Bigger J. T., Jr Electrophysiological properties of the rabbit sinoatrial perinodal fibers. Circ Res. 1972 Oct;31(4):490–506. doi: 10.1161/01.res.31.4.490. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Strauss H. C., Bigger J. T., Saroff A. L., Giardina E. G. Electrophysiologic evaluation of sinus node function in patients with sinus node dysfunction. Circulation. 1976 May;53(5):763–776. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.53.5.763. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Strauss H. C., Saroff A. L., Bigger J. T., Jr, Giardina E. G. Premature atrial stimulation as a key to the understanding of sinoatrial conduction in man. Presentation of data and critical review of the literature. Circulation. 1973 Jan;47(1):86–93. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.47.1.86. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Heart Journal are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES