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Glite Dictionary
atrioventricular block

atrioventricular block

1 6.8
A heart problem when electrical signals between the upper and lower chambers are slow or stop causing fainting
  • noun
  • /ˌeɪtriˌoʊvɛnˈtrɪkjələr blɑk/
  • Specialized
translation icon : bloqueo auriculoventricular
  • During the examination, the cardiologist confirmed the diagnosis of atrioventricular block after reviewing the patient's EKG results.

Examples

  • Patients with an atrioventricular block often require close monitoring to prevent complications like sudden loss of consciousness.

  • On autopsy, there is no evidence of drowning, but only that the heart stopped suddenly due to an atrioventricular block.

    Academic text (1994)

  • Severe sinus bradycardia, high-grade atrioventricular block, and prolonged ventricular asystole have been described.

    Academic text (2002)

  • The doctor explained that an atrioventricular block can lead to fainting spells if the heart's electrical signals are disrupted.

Synonyms

heart block
vsatrioventricular block
  • Specialized
2 5.3

The heart's signals stop partly or completely, causing slow, irregular beats and fainting

is the specific form affecting signals between upper and lower heart chambers
Stokes-Adams syndrome
vsatrioventricular block
  • Specialized
7.2

Sudden fainting caused by the heart's electrical signal stopping or slowing

is conduction failure between upper and lower chambers sometimes causing sudden fainting
Adams-Stokes syndrome
vsatrioventricular block
  • Specialized
7.2

The heart's electrical signals stop briefly and cause sudden repeated fainting

is the specific conduction impairment between chambers that can produce these attacks

Surface Forms

atrioventricular block singular
atrioventricular blocks plural

Morphology

atrioventricular + block

The term is compositionally formed from 'atrioventricular' (involving the atria and ventricles) and 'block' (an obstruction), so a learner who knows both constituents can infer it refers to an obstruction affecting the atria–ventricle connection. However, the precise clinical sense — that this specifically denotes impaired electrical conduction and possible fainting episodes — requires medical knowledge beyond basic word meanings, so it is not fully transparent.

Etymology

Atrioventricular block is a medical name for a block between the heart's atria, the upper chambers, and ventricles, the lower chambers. Imagine the heart's electrical signal trying to go from the top to the bottom but being stopped, and so it now means 'a blocked signal between the chambers that can make someone faint'.