Normal sinus rhythm
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Normal sinus rhythm
The normal sinus rhythm is the rate of impulses generated by certain muscle cells as a signal to the upper heart chambers (atria) to contract.
The heart contains a cluster of specialized muscle cells that act as the heart's natural pacemaker. This cluster is called the sinoatrial node, or SA node. The SA node generates the electrical signals that cause the upper heart chambers (atria) to contract. At rest, the SA node normally sends 60 to 100 impulses per minute (the normal sinus rhythm).
Credits
| Author | Robin Parks, MS |
| Editor | Kathleen M. Ariss, MS |
| Associate Editor | Pat Truman, MATC |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Laurence Epstein, MD - Cardiac Electrophysiologist |
| Last Updated | January 18, 2007 |
| Last updated: | January 18, 2007 |
|---|---|
| Author: | Robin Parks, MS |
| Reviewed By: | Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine, Laurence Epstein, MD - Cardiac Electrophysiologist |
| Editors: | Kathleen M. Ariss, MS, Pat Truman, MATC |
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