Symptomatic, Inspiration-Induced Atrioventricular Block: Treated with Pacemaker Implant

Abstract

Background: The respiratory sinus arrhythmia is the most common cardiac arrhythmia. It consists of phasic variations of sinus cycle length produced by an autonomic reflex, and is characterized by increased heart rate during inspiration and decline in expiration. This phenomenon is due to a reduction of the parasympathetic tone during inspiration, causing a rise in the heart rate, while during expiration the opposite phenomenon occurs. This arrhythmia is more frequent in young adults, although it can also be seen in any age group.

Methods and results: We report the case of a 46-year-old female, who was transferred to our institution because of dizziness and loss of balance reported during deep inspiration, associated with sinus bradycardia and atrioventricular block.

Keywords: atrioventricular block; electrophysiology; pacemaker; respiratory sinus arrhythmia.