escape beat [ME, escapen, to flee; beten, to beat] , an automatic beat of the heart that occurs after an interval equal to or longer than the duration of its normal cycle. Escape beats function as safety mechanisms, and anything that produces a long pause in the prevailing heart cycle may allow an escape to occur. Pauses in which escape beats occur may be caused by sinoatrial block, atrioventricular (AV) block, or sinus bradycardia. Escape beats may arise from the atria, the AV junction, or the ventricles.
