Reflex Cardiac Asystole

In this report we present the case of a patient with recurrent syucopal episodes. During one of the attacks the patient was monitoring by telemetry and the ECC lead showed asvstole for more than 7 seconds. As in cases of the carhlinhibitory type of hypersenstive carolid sinus svndrome [HCSS]. asvstole may represent suppression of the sinus node or suppression of both sinus and atioventricular [AV] node. Unfortunately, in contrast to HCSS, there is no maneuver that can reproducibly induce episodes of asystole. Consequentlty, very little is known about the occurrence of AV block in the presence of sinus arrest. In the patient described in this report. We were able to demonstrate that suppression of sinus and AV nodes occured simultaneously. This is interesting to note that in this type of syneope data from noninvasive and invasive techniques in assessing sinus nodal and AV nodal conduction may note be conclusive. In the group of patients with this type of syncope, permanent artial demand pacing is constraindicated.