Digitalis in the Sick Sinus Syndrome

Digitalis in the Sick Sinus Syndrome

The effect of digitalis in patients with sinoatrial node dysfunction was studied. Atrial pacing studies were performed while His bundle -electrograms were recorded in fourteen patients with sinus bradyeardia, syncope, or related symptoms. Measurements were repeated after 0.01 mg/kg ouabain, followed in some by 1 mg atropine. Ouabain produced a significant shortening of sinoatrial recovery time,...

The sick sinus syndrome.

1. a. SSS b. SA block c. SA arrest Sick sinus syndrome is a disorder characterized by a dysfunctional sinus node. It is often idiopathic and a result of degenerative fibrosis of nodal tissue. Certain disorders such as amyloidosis, connective tissue disease, Chagas disease, and hemochromatosis are examples of intrinsic causes. Hypertensive heart disease and cardiomyopathies account for a smaller...

Iatrogenic sick sinus syndrome.

A 50-year-old university professor originally from South America had a 3-day history of paroxysmal attacks of rapid palpitations accompanied by near syncope and followed by transient flushing of her head and neck. She had a history of rheumatic mitral valve stenosis due to rheumatic fever at age 15, for which successful mitral commissurotomy was performed at age 36. Subsequently, recurrent atta...

Sick sinus syndrome in children.

The ages of 6 male patients with the sick sinus syndrome ranged from 10-15 years when their symptoms began. At rest all had a heart rate of 60/min or less. Two had syncopal attacks which threatened life; 1 had only attacks of dizziness; the other 3 had no syncopal attacks but had recurrent attacks of supraventricular tachycardia ('brady-tachycardia syndrome') which were more resistant to drug t...

Sick sinus syndrome in Malaysians.