Patients with sinus node dysfunction or atrioventricular blocks

Sinus node dysfunction and AV block constitute the underlying pathology for the majority of patients receiving permanent pacemakers. The predominate arrhythmia is bradycardia, and although rarely life threatening, patients may present with severe symptoms such as syncope or acute heart failure. In these situations, patients are admitted to the critical care or telemetry unit for monitoring and treatment. It is the responsibility of the critical care nurse to have an understanding of the clinical manifestations of sinus node dysfunction and AV block and to initiate appropriate interventions for symptomatic arrhythmias.