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(Circulation. 1998;98:47-53.)
© 1998 American Heart Association, Inc.

Clinical Investigation and Reports

Noninvasive Diagnosis of Dual AV Node Physiology in Patients With AV Nodal Reentrant Tachycardia by Administration of Adenosine-5'-Triphosphate During Sinus Rhythm

Bernard Belhassen, MD; Roman Fish, MD; Michael Glikson, MD; Aharon Glick, MD; Michael Eldar, MD; Shlomo Laniado, MD; ; Sami Viskin, MD

From the Departments of Cardiology, Sourasky-Tel-Aviv Medical Center (B.B., R.F., A.G., S.L., S.V.) and Sheba Medical Center (M.G., M.E.), Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Israel.

Correspondence to Bernard Belhassen, MD, Department of Cardiology, Tel-Aviv Medical Center, Weizman St 6, Tel-Aviv 64239, Israel. E-mail belhasen{at}ccsg.tau.ac.il

Background—Atrioventricular nodal reentry tachycardia (AVNRT) represents the most commonly encountered type of regular paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia. This study determined whether administration of adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP) during sinus rhythm may be useful in the noninvasive diagnosis of dual AV nodal pathways.

Methods and Results—During electrophysiological study, we intravenously administered incremental doses of ATP (from 10 to 50 mg) during sinus rhythm to patients with spontaneous and inducible sustained AVNRT (study group, n=42) and to patients with no evidence of dual AV nodal physiology or inducible AVNRT (control group, n=21). Signs suggestive of dual AV node physiology after ATP administration during sinus rhythm ("jump" of AH 50 ms between 2 consecutive beats, 1 AV nodal echo beat, or initiation of AVNRT) were observed in 32 (76%) of 42 study patients but in only 1 (5%) of the 21 control patients (P<0.001). Similar results were observed when only surface lead recordings (without intracardiac recordings) were evaluated. Signs suggestive of dual AV node physiology by the ATP test were observed in 29 (80.5%) of 36 patients who had electrophysiological demonstration of dual AV node physiology and in 3 (50%) of 6 patients without AV nodal duality (P=NS). Signs suggestive of dual physiology according to the ATP test disappeared in 11 (92%) of the 12 patients who underwent successful slow AV nodal ablation but persisted in 8 (62%) of 13 patients who underwent AV nodal modification.

Conclusions—Administration of ATP during sinus rhythm may be a useful bedside test for identifying patients with dual AV nodal pathways who are prone to AVNRT. This simple test should be considered as a screening test for patients with symptoms suggestive of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia but no documented arrhythmias or for patients with documented narrow complex tachycardia of unclear mechanism.

Key Words: arrhythmia • tachycardia • electrophysiology

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