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CHAPTER 25

AV Nodal Reentry Tachycardia

Objectives

At the end of this chapter, the student should be able to:

1. Define atrioventricular nodal reentry tachycardia (AVRNT), and list the diagnostic criteria of this rhythm. (pp 356)
2. State the percentage of people with a single tract system and a double tract system. (p 348)
3. Compare the single tract versus double tract AV nodal approach to the AV node, and discuss the mechanisms of normal transmission of the impulse from the atria to the AV node itself for both systems. (pp 348–349)
4. Predict any advantage or disadvantage to either the single tract or double tract approaches. (pp 348–352)
5. Discuss whether the AV node itself is part of the reentry circuit, and relate that to the cardioprotective function of the physiologic block. (pp 352–356)
6. Discuss in detail the formation of the AV nodal reentry circuit. (pp 352–356)
7. Predict how conduction down the “slow” and “fast” pathways of the dual pathway system will affect the length of the PR interval. (pp 353–356)
8. Discuss how the transmission rates of the dual pathway system lead to the formation of the reentry loop. (pp 354–355)
9. Accurately identify AV nodal reentry tachycardia on a rhythm strip or ECG. (pp 358–363)