The dynamics of the heart in complete A-V block; an angiocardiographic study.

The conduction disturbances in atrioventricular block are well known from numerous electro-cardiographic studies, but the effect on the heart work, especially on the individual chambers, could not be recorded before the introduction of visualization of the heart chambers by angio-cardiography. Rapid biplane angiocardiography with simultaneous electrocardiographic yields information on cardiac dynamics not available by procedures with a purely static anatomic perception. IN complete atrioventricular block the atria and ventricles contract independently and the relationship of the atrial to the ventricular contractions is always changing. This type of dissociation offers a unique opportunity to study the mode of action of the atria and the ventricles independently and in various combinations.