What it means
In the heart, conduction is how the electrical signal travels from the sinoatrial node through the upper chambers and down to the ventricleVEN-trih-kulOne of the two lower chambers of the heart, or one of the fluid-filled spaces inside the brain.Full entry , making the heart beat in order; problems along the path are conduction disorders, such as heart block. In nerves, it is the signal moving along the nerve fiber. In body temperature, conduction is heat moving by direct touch, as when a newborn loses heat on a cold scale or a fever is cooled with a cool cloth.
For the nurse
Prevent heat loss by conduction in newborns and surgical clients: warm surfaces, blankets and scales before contact. Changes on the electrocardiogramih-lek-troh-KAR-dee-oh-gramA test that records the heart's electrical activity as waves on paper or a screen.electr/o electricitycardi/o heart-gram recordFull entry can show a conduction problem; report new ones.
At a glance
| Spanish | conducción |
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Related terms
arrhythmia
A heart rhythm that is not normal: too fast, too slow or irregular.
electrocardiogram
A test that records the heart's electrical activity as waves on paper or a screen.
hypothermia
A body temperature that has fallen below the normal range.