Atrial Escape Beat

ECG Features

Figure 1: ECG Strip[1]

An atrial escape beat occurs after a long sinus pause resulting from sinus node exit block or sinus node arrest.[2] Atrial escape beats can become a sustained atrial rhythm when three or more escape beats occur in a row at a rate above 60 bpm.

Clinical Significance

  • Escape beats/rhythms provide protection against total cardiac standstill in the event of sinus node failure or complete heart block.[4]


Table 1: ECG Characteristics[3]

ECM Features

Figure 2: ECM Analysis, Record 223[5][6]

Additional Information

References

  1. Hopley, L., & Schalkwyk, J. (2003). [Untitled illustration of an atrial escape beat]. Retrieved July 19, 2016, from [Untitled illustration of an atrial escape beat]. (n.d.). Retrieved July 19, 2016, from http://www.anaesthetist.com/icu/organs/heart/ecg/Findex.htm
  2. Prutkin, J. M. (2015). ECG tutorial: Atrial and atrioventricular nodal (supraventricular) arrhythmias. Retrieved July 27, 2016, from http://www.uptodate.com/contents/ecg-tutorial-atrial-and-atrioventricular-nodal-supraventricular-arrhythmias
  3. Atrial escape rhythm. (n.d.). Retrieved July 27, 2016, from http://www.gpnotebook.co.uk/simplepage.cfm?ID=x20120201132554500242
    1. ECG – A Pictorial Primer. (n.d.). Retrieved August 05, 2016, from http://www.medicine-on-line.com/html/ecg/e0001en_files/08.htm
  4. MIT-BIH Arrhythmia Database. (1980). Retrieved June, 2016, from https://physionet.org/physiobank/database/mitdb/
  5. Goldberger AL, Amaral LAN, Glass L, Hausdorff JM, Ivanov PCh, Mark RG, Mietus JE, Moody GB, Peng C-K, Stanley HE. PhysioBank, PhysioToolkit, and PhysioNet: Components of a New Research Resource for Complex Physiologic Signals. Circulation101(23):e215-e220 [Circulation Electronic Pages;http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/101/23/e215]; 2000 (June 13).