bradycardia
Pronunciation: brad-ee-KAR-dee-uh
A heart rate below 60 beats per minute in adults, which in dental anesthesiology may be induced by opioids, vagal stimulation, or beta-blockers and requires prompt clinical assessment.
Full Definition
In the dental anesthesiology context, bradycardia is a monitored parameter that can occur as an adverse effect of opioid administration, excessive depth of sedation, vasovagal response, or as a side effect of pre-existing beta-blocker therapy. It is defined by an adult resting heart rate below 60 bpm and may be clinically significant when accompanied by hypotension or altered consciousness. Editors reviewing monitoring records and incident reports must distinguish bradycardia (slow rate) from dysrhythmia (abnormal rhythm) and from tachycardia (elevated rate). 'Bradycardia' is one word, never hyphenated, and should not be confused with 'bradypnoea' (abnormally slow breathing rate), which is a separate monitored parameter.
Usage
Usage note: Distinguish from 'bradypnoea' (slow breathing) in monitoring documentation. In pediatric patients, normal heart rate ranges differ; bradycardia thresholds are age-specific and should be defined in pediatric sedation protocols.
In Context
- "Bradycardia (heart rate 48 bpm) was noted following the second dose of fentanyl and resolved spontaneously within two minutes." — Intraoperative anaesthetic record
- "The guideline defines significant bradycardia as a heart rate below 50 bpm or any rate associated with haemodynamic instability." — Dental sedation clinical guideline