Paroxysmal heart block triggered by sitting up: a usually undetected cause of cerebral ischemia.
Modest postural changes may trigger symptoms of cerebral ischemia, and these are usually attributed to "postural hypotension." The mere act of sitting up in bed induced paroxysmal atrioventricular block with symptoms sufficiently severe to warrant pacemaker implantation, without changes in blood pressure, in two patients. These cases illustrate an easily treatable mechanism for posturally induced cerebral ischemia that may completely escape clinical detection if not looked for.
Klein
H O
HO
Department of Cardiology, Meir General Hospital, Kfar-Saba, Israel.
Di Segni
E
E
Kaplinsky
E
E
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000209:etiology*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006327:Heart Block / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007024:Hypotension, Orthostatic / Q000150:complications; D008875:Middle Aged; D009068:Movement; D013484:Supination