Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 24, 2025

Estimating Bilateral Atrial Function by Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Feature Tracking in Patients with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation
Published on: July 20, 2022
Aggravation of pre-existing atrioventricular block, Wenckebach type, provoked by application of X-ray contrast medium
Marianne Brodmann1, Gerald Seinost, Gerhard Stark
1Division of Angiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Medizinische Universität Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 15, 8036, Graz, Austria. marianne.brodmann@meduni-graz.at
Background:
Significant bradycardia followed by cardiac arrest related to single bolus administration of X-ray contrast medium into a peripheral artery has not, to our knowledge, been described in the literature.
Methods And Results:
While performing a percutaneous transluminal angioplasty of the left superficial femoral artery in a 68-year old patient with a pre-existing atrioventricular (AV) block, Wenckebach type, he developed an AV block III after a single bolus injection of intra-arterial X-ray contrast medium.
Conclusion:
We believe that application of contrast medium causes a transitory ischemia in the obstructed vessel and therefore elevation of endogenous adenosine. In the case of a previously damaged AV node this elevation of endogenous adenosine may be responsible for the development of a short period of third-degree AV block.
Related Concept Videos
Dysrhythmias IV: Characteristics of Bradyarrhythmias
Cardiac Catheterization I: Pre-Procedure Overview
Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System V: CT
Radiological Investigation I: X-ray and CT
Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System III: X-Ray
Definition and Purpose
An X-ray, or radiograph, is a non-invasive method that uses ionizing radiation to take images of internal structures. It is mainly used in cardiac imaging to examine the heart, lungs, and major blood vessels, aiming to identify abnormalities in the heart's size, shape, and position, such as heart failure, congenital defects, and vascular...
Antiarrhythmic Drugs: Class II Agents as β-Adrenergic Blockers

