adj. affecting or peculiar to the ventricles of the heart. The term is most often used to describe the very slow beat of the heart’s ventricles under the influence of their own natural subsidiary pacemaker (idioventricular rhythm). An accelerated idioventricular rhythm of 80–120 beats per minute is often seen in patients a few hours after being admitted with a heart attack (see myocardial infarction). Its presence is a good sign since it usually indicates restoration of blood flow down the occluded coronary artery.
Health Encyclopedia