You mean wenchebach (sp?
). It is also referred to as Mobitz I or Mobitz II depending on some factors. Well, the most common type of wenchebach is characterized by the time from the time and place the beat is generated from and how long it takes for the ventricles to respond with a contraction and it changes from beat to beat but follows a specific pattern. If you think of a person sitting on a chair blowing up balloons and is handed a balloon and can only blow with one breath and then is handed another and again can only blow with one breath and then another and another. The size of the balloons will progressively become smaller. On the EKG, a wenchebach rhythm shows the pattern of the ventricles responding to an impulse being: The first beat beat usually normal, the second beat the response time is lengthened, the third beat the response time is lengthened further and usually by the fourth beat or so the ventricles do not respond at all. The key factor is that there is a normal type impulse that is like a fired blank. (In the less common type of Wenkebach is that there are still some "blanks" fired but the predictable pattern is not there). It is a conduction type of abnormality called a 2nd degree heart block. The predictable pattern is usually considered less likely to progress to greater heart block than one without a set pattern. Sometimes there are so many PACs and PVCs and little runs of atrial fib that an underlying Mobitz is missed. I remember after OHS at Duke a couple of the cardiologists were outside my door discussing my rhythm and being perplexed. This is just from memory but I think it is correct. It has been several years since I had to deal with this stuff except as a patient.[/QUOT
Clarification: When a Wenchebach rhythm (Mobitz I) looses it's predictability and it's "blanks" are fired at random then it is called a Mobitz II and is no longer referred to as a wenchebach. So, Lyn, the rhythm that keeps coming up with Justin is the lesser of the two Mobitz rhythms.