Word parts
What it means
Part of the heart's electrical system, in the wall between the atria near the center of the heart. It receives the signal from the SA node (the natural pacemaker) and holds it for a split second, so the atria can finish filling the ventricles, then sends it on to the ventricles. If the SA node fails, the AV node can act as a backup pacemaker at a slower rate, about 40 to 60 beats per minute. Problems with it cause heart blocks.
For the nurse
Drugs such as digoxindih-JOK-sinA drug that makes the heart beat more strongly and more slowly.Full entry , beta blockers and some calcium channel blockerKAL-see-um CHAN-ul BLOK-erA drug that slows the movement of calcium into heart and blood vessel muscle cells, relaxing the vessels.Full entry slow conduction through the AV node; check the heart rate before giving them.
At a glance
| Spanish | nodo auriculoventricular |
|---|---|
| Also written | atrioventricular node, AV nodal |
Related terms
ventricle
One of the two lower chambers of the heart, or one of the fluid-filled spaces inside the brain.
conduction
The passing of something, such as an electrical signal or heat, from one place to another through a material.
atrium
One of the two upper chambers of the heart, which receive blood coming back to the heart.
supraventricular tachycardia
A fast, regular heart rhythm that starts above the ventricles, usually 150 to 250 beats a minute.
sinus rhythm
A heart rhythm that starts in the sinoatrial node, the heart's natural pacemaker.