What does “incomplete right bundle branch block” mean?
A bundle branch block is actually a fairly common finding on an EKG. To understand what it is, you need to understand how the heart beats. A beat starts in the sinus node of the upper right atrium, travels through both atria and to the AV node. From there it is transmitted to the ventricles- the lower two chambers of the heart, via the HIS bundle. There it branches into a right and left bundle branch- each bundle for the corresponding ventricle, right to the right, left to the left. The electrical impulse should travel through both sides and cause both to contract at about the same exact time- give or take a few nanoseconds. In your friend’s case, there is a slight delay in the conduction on the right side. The bundle is incomplete, which means it’s not conducting the electrical impulse quite as well as expected. It’s still conducting some electricity though- which is why they say it’s incomplete. If the bundle is completely blocked, the right side of the heart will beat as a result of
Right bundle branch block (RBBB) occurs when transmission of the electrical impulse is delayed or not conducted along the right bundle branch. Thus, the right ventricle depolarizes by means of cell-to-cell conduction that spreads from the interventricular septum and left ventricle to the right ventricle. A partial RBBB is called Incomplete Right Bundle Branch Block. Clinical significance of both are same. RBBB occurs in medical conditions that affect the right side of the heart or the lungs, so a finding of RBBB on the ECG ought to trigger a screening exam for such conditions. These include blood clots to the lung (pulmonary embolus), chronic lung disease, cardiomyopathy, and atrial and ventricular septal defects. However, RBBB also commonly occurs in normal, healthy individuals, and the screening exam therefore often turns up no medical problems. In these cases, the RBBB has no apparent medical significance, and can be written off as a “normal variant,” and safely ignored. If you have
