SAQ 274 – Cardiology – symptomatic bradycardia with high-grade heart block

Review Completed

Marked out of 18.00

A patient presents with symptomatic bradycardia. The ECG is shown below.

State five (5) abnormal ECG findings.

(Marked out of 5.0)

/ 5

List four (4) different drug classes that may cause this presentation and provide one example from each class.

(Marked out of 4.0)

/ 4

State three (3) treatment options. For each, provide one (1) advantage and one (1) disadvantage.

(Marked out of 9.0)

/ 9

Total Score: 0 / 18

Percentage: 0%

Treatment	Advantage	Disadvantage
IV fluid	Rapidly available and may improve preload.	May cause fluid overload and does not correct high-grade block.
Atropine	Rapid and easy to administer.	Often ineffective in infranodal high-grade block and may cause tachyarrhythmia.
Adrenaline infusion	Supports heart rate and blood pressure while definitive treatment is arranged.	May provoke arrhythmia or myocardial ischaemia and requires close monitoring.
Transcutaneous pacing	Rapid bridge when unstable.	Painful, requires sedation, and electrical capture may not produce mechanical capture.
Transvenous pacing	Reliable definitive temporary pacing.	Invasive and requires expertise, time, and central access.
Isoprenaline or dobutamine	May support rate or cardiac output.	May cause arrhythmia and is not definitive treatment.