COMPLETE ATRIOVENTRICULAR-BLOCK INDUCED DURING LEFT HEART CATHETERIZATION

Complete atrioventricular block (CAVB) during cardiac catheterization is a rare complication. We describe a patient with preexisting complete right bundle branch block who developed CAVB during left-sided cardiac catheterization. CAVB was induced when a left-sided catheter was passed through the aortic valve. We speculate that the patient's His bundle was injured by mechanical compression. Physicians should always pay attention to the possibility of the development of CAVB during cardiac catheterization, particularly in patients with preexisting heart block.