Interatrial Block in the Modern Era

Abstract: Interatrial block (IAB; P-wave duration ≥ 110 ms), which represents a delay in the conduction between the atria, is a pandemic conduction abnormality that is frequently underappreciated in clinical practice. Despite its compre-hensive documentation in the medical literature, it has still not received adequate attention and also not adequately de-scribed and discussed in most cardiology textbooks. IAB can be of varying degrees and classified based on the degree of P-duration and its morphology. It can transform into a higher degree block and can also manifest transiently. IAB may be a preceding or causative risk factor for various atrial arrhythmias (esp. atrial fibrillation) and also be associated with vari-ous other clinical abnormalities ranging from left atrial dilation and thromboembolism including embolic stroke and mes-enteric ischemia. IAB certainly deserves more attention and prospective studies are needed to formulate a standard con-sensus regarding appropriate management strategies