Persistent Complete Atrioventricular Block after Induction of General Anesthesia in a Healthy Patient

Complete atrioventricular (AV) block may cause hemodynamic instability, and pacemaker insertion may be necessary because the condition occasionally does not respond to vagolytic drugs. Sinus bradycardia has been rarely reported to progress to complete AV block, and it is usually temporary, especially when it is caused by anesthetics. We report a case of a permanent complete AV block that occurred after induction of general anesthesia in a patient who had no history of an atrioventricular block because complete AV block has commonly occurred in patients with risk factors such as first AV block, secondary AV block, or bundle branch block, but complete AV block has occurred despite the absence of arrhythmia in this patient.