wandering pacemaker

wandering pacemaker

n.

A disturbance of the normal cardiac rhythm in which the site of the controlling pacemaker shifts from beat to beat, usually between the sinoatrial and atrioventricular nodes.

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pacemaker

1. an object or substance that controls the rate at which a certain phenomenon occurs; often used alone to indicate an artificial cardiac pacemaker; however, there are other natural and artificial pacemakers.

2. In biochemistry, a pacemaker is a substance whose rate of reaction sets the pace for a series of interrelated reactions.

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asynchronous pacemaker

(1) an implanted cardiac pacemaker in which the induced ventricular rhythm is independent of the atrium; it is usually set at a fixed rate of ventricular stimulation.

pacemaker cells

(1) cells within the heart capable of spontaneous discharge.

gastric pacemaker

(1) a saddle-shaped area of the greater curvature of the stomach at the junction of its proximal and middle thirds, which regulates the frequency of gastric contractions.

phrenic pacemaker

(1) a device designed to facilitate respiration by converting radiofrequency signals into electrical impulses that stimulate the phrenic nerve, resulting in contraction and flattening of the diaphragm and improved inspiration of air.

pacemaker therapy

implantation of a pacemaker device in animals usually for the treatment of symptomatic bradyarrhythmias.

pacemaker syndrome

falling arterial pressure, low cardiac output and congestive heart failure, usually due to a suboptimal pacing mode.

uterine pacemaker

either of the two regulating centers that control uterine contractions.

wandering pacemaker

a condition in which the site of origin of the impulses controlling the heart rate shifts from the head of the sinoatrial node to a lower part of the node or to another part of the atrium.

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wandering pacemaker

Cardiology An intermittent shift–or suppression–of one cardiac pacemaker, usually from the sinus node to another, often the AV node; the contraction gradually ↑ in length of the cycle, and is usually an innocuous finding in infants; WP may reflect fluctuating vagal tone; physical findings in WPs include bradycardia, variable 1^st heart sounds, variable size and shape of P wave