title: Complete heart block complicating retrograde left heart catheterization.
abstract: Three cases of complete heart block complicating retrograde left heart catheterization are presented. In two of the three cases, electrophysiologic study documented block below the AV (atrial ventricular) node. In the third recurrent complete heart block was fatal. It appears that complete heart block complicating retrograde left sided cardiac catheterization is not simply a pericatheterization event; rather, it appears that there is high risk of recurrent complete heart block and that electrophysiologic study is mandatory.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, State University of New York Health Science Center, Brooklyn 11203-2098.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Feit
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kipperman
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ursell
authors.forename: C V
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Reddy
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002304:Cardiac Pacing, Artificial; D005260:Female; D006327:Heart Block / Q000209:etiology*; D006329:Heart Conduction System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors