title: Pseudo-atrial dissociation: a respiratory artifact.
abstract: Atrial dissociation is an electrocardiographic phenomenon characterized by the occurrence of two separate atrial rhythms. A patient is presented, showing electrocardiographic signs suggestive for atrial dissociation. The dissociated, non-conducted, atrial rhythm showing micro-oscillations after its P wave, is shown to be a respiratory artifact. It is concluded that the micro-oscillations seen on the surface electrocardiogram after a dissociated P wave are probably diagnostic for pseudo-atrial dissociation.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria; D006801:Humans; D012119:Respiration