Bradycardia and Cardiac Conduction Delay Guideline Update

The American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association, and Heart Rhythm Society collectively publish guidelines related to the management of cardiac arrhythmias. This column highlights key recommendations from the Guideline on the Evaluation and Management of Patients with Bradycardia and Cardiac Conduction Delay¹  and discusses implications for nurses in acute care settings. The guideline is comprehensive and includes recommendations for evaluating and monitoring patients and for pharmacological and device-based treatments. This column describes only select class I recommendations (those that are indicated, beneficial, and effective, and should be done) and class III recommendations (those that are associated with potential harm and should not be performed).¹ 

Twelve-lead electrocardiography (ECG) performed when symptoms appear or during bradycardia or a conduction delay may provide a definitive diagnosis of the condition causing the bradycardia or conduction delay. Electrocardiography can also provide valuable information about the etiology of bradycardia or a conduction delay...