Adenosine will terminate atrial flutter.

Adenosine will terminate atrial flutter.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Adenosine terminates flutter only with synchronized cardioversion
• D. Adenosine terminates flutter only in chronic conditions

Answer: (B)

Adenosine works by briefly blocking the AV node, which stops conduction to the ventricles in AV node–dependent tachycardias. Atrial flutter, however, is driven by a reentrant circuit in the atria itself. Blocking the AV node may slow or pause the ventricular response and reveal flutter waves, but it does not interrupt or terminate the atrial flutter circuit. So the rhythm in the atria keeps going even though the ventricular rate may drop temporarily. If termination of the flutter is needed, synchronized cardioversion is the appropriate approach in the right clinical setting.

Adenosine works by briefly blocking the AV node, which stops conduction to the ventricles in AV node–dependent tachycardias. Atrial flutter, however, is driven by a reentrant circuit in the atria itself. Blocking the AV node may slow or pause the ventricular response and reveal flutter waves, but it does not interrupt or terminate the atrial flutter circuit. So the rhythm in the atria keeps going even though the ventricular rate may drop temporarily. If termination of the flutter is needed, synchronized cardioversion is the appropriate approach in the right clinical setting.