Atrioventricular dissociation

Atrioventricular dissociation is an electrocardiographic syndrome; a descriptive term for a variety of conditions of abnormal cardiac conduction which all feature independent function of the atria and ventricles.

AV dissociation can be subclassified as AV dissociation by default (an independent ventricular pacemaker responds to slowing of the dominant atrial pacemaker) versus AV dissociation by usurpation (acceleration of a latent pacemaker takes control of cardiac conduction by exceeding the intrinsic atrial rate).