What is required for a patient with a third-degree AV block, making it a medical emergency?

What is required for a patient with a third-degree AV block, making it a medical emergency?

• A. Medication
• B. Close monitoring
• C. A pacemaker
• D. Defibrillation

Answer: (C)

A patient with a third-degree AV block requires a pacemaker because this condition is characterized by a complete interruption of conduction between the atria and ventricles. As a result, the electrical signals that should coordinate the heartbeat are unable to propagate effectively. This can lead to a dangerously slow heart rate (bradycardia), which may cause significant symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, syncope, or even hemodynamic instability. In this scenario, the use of a pacemaker is critical as it provides an artificial electrical impulse to ensure that the heart chambers beat in synchrony and maintain an adequate cardiac output. This intervention is vital to prevent potential cardiac arrest and other severe complications associated with prolonged third-degree AV block. The need for immediate pacing underscores the urgency of the condition, making it a medical emergency. While medications, close monitoring, and defibrillation may be relevant in other cardiac conditions or during certain scenarios of instability, they do not address the underlying issue of electrical conduction failure seen in third-degree AV block as effectively as a pacemaker does.

A patient with a third-degree AV block requires a pacemaker because this condition is characterized by a complete interruption of conduction between the atria and ventricles. As a result, the electrical signals that should coordinate the heartbeat are unable to propagate effectively. This can lead to a dangerously slow heart rate (bradycardia), which may cause significant symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, syncope, or even hemodynamic instability.

In this scenario, the use of a pacemaker is critical as it provides an artificial electrical impulse to ensure that the heart chambers beat in synchrony and maintain an adequate cardiac output. This intervention is vital to prevent potential cardiac arrest and other severe complications associated with prolonged third-degree AV block. The need for immediate pacing underscores the urgency of the condition, making it a medical emergency.

While medications, close monitoring, and defibrillation may be relevant in other cardiac conditions or during certain scenarios of instability, they do not address the underlying issue of electrical conduction failure seen in third-degree AV block as effectively as a pacemaker does.