About Bundle Branch Blocks

Bundle Branch Blocks

What is a Bundle Branch Block?

For anybody who is studying for a career in the medical field or is simply taking ECG/EKG Training, the heart muscle is an important area of the body. There cannot be too much attention focused on this organ because it is simply the provider of all things good to ones health and well being.

One of the primary maladies that affects the human heart is called bundle branch block or BBB. This is very important in learning how the muscle functions and what happens when something goes wrong.

The heart muscle contracts through a series of short electrical impulses carried out by the autonomic nervous system (ANS). As part of the ANS, the bundle branches carry these currents to the sino-atrial node (SA), across the atria, to the atrioventricular node (AV) and to the ventricles.

This complex system works in perfect harmony, pumping blood to the body and the lungs in a perfect sequence. In normal branch bundle conduction, the electrical impulse will travel to both of the ventricles at the same time, triggering them to contract. With bundle branch block, something occurs to cause a delay to one of the branches. This can be disease, trauma or something similar.

With bundle branch block, the ventricles don't contract simultaneously. This can occur as right bundle branch block or left bundle branch block. When taking ECG/EKG Certification it is necessary to understand the difference between the two.

With right bundle branch block, the impulse goes to the left ventricle first, then travels to the right side, causing the two to fire at different times. The opposite occurs with left bundle branch block. The electrical current first goes to the right ventricle, then the left. The effect of either type means that it takes longer for the impulse to reach the ventricles for contraction.

It is relatively easy to diagnose this condition with the aid of the QRS complex in a standard ECG. When taking ECG/EKG Classes, student will be able to see the distinctive way that a normal heart rhythm will look as opposed to the much wider shape that BBB provides. This is because the delay in contraction of the ventricles, means that it takes longer to complete the normal beating pattern.

The significance and difference between the 2 types of BBB is very important. With right BBB, this occurs in normal, healthy individuals and is generally not a cause for concern. However, with left BBB, this typically indicates an underlying reason of cardiac disease and must be addressed immediately.

Most of the treatment is done with the implant of a pacemaker. This allows the heart to return to a normal sinus rhythm and provides the patient with a sense of wellness.

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