Sinus arrest

Sinus arrest, also known as sinus standstill, sinus pause, or sinus arrest, refers to the failure of the sinoatrial node to generate impulses during one or more cardiac cycles, resulting in the inability to excite the atria or the entire heart. In young people, it is mostly caused by strong vagal reflexes, commonly seen with pharyngeal stimulation, tracheal intubation, carotid sinus massage or eyeball pressure, and the use of drugs such as digitalis and quinidine sulfate. Sometimes various factors such as inflammation, ischemia, injury, and degeneration damage the pacemaker cells of the sinoatrial node, causing sinus arrest. Frequent sinus arrest is a serious arrhythmia and a manifestation of sinoatrial node failure. The cause must be identified and treated, and implantation of an artificial cardiac pacemaker is often required.