Woldemar Mobitz
Encyclopedia
Woldemar Mobitz was a Russian-German physician. The forms of second degree AV block are named after him for him.
Mobitz was born on May 31, 1889 in St. Petersburg, Russia. He attended the local high school in Meiningen
(Saxony
, Germany) from which he graduated in 1908. He then studied medicine at the Universities of Freiburg
and Munich
, where he earned his doctorate in 1914 (“Contributions to Basedow disease”). He then worked at the Surgical Hospitals in Berlin
and Halle as well as in internal medicine
at the University Hospitals of Munich and Freiburg. In Munich, Mobitz was promoted to the position of a senior lecturer thanks to his research on heart block. In 1928, after a 4-year tenure, he accepted a post in Freiburg as Associate Professor and Chief of Staff of the Clinic of Internal Medicine. In 1943, he became Director of the Medical Hospital in Magdeburg-Sudenburg Municipal Hospital until the occupation by the Soviet army in 1945. Mobitz’s work was devoted to internal medicine and he was especially interested in cardiology
. From 1924 to 1928, he published his famous key papers on AV dissociation and heart block
. In 1924, Mobitz differentiated two types of second degree AV block with the aid of the electrocardiogram
and characterized their prognostic significance. With type I (Mobitz type I), the PR interval
increases gradually until there is a breakdown of AV conduction. This form is identical to the previously described type of second-degree AV block by Wenckebach at the end of the nineteenth century. With type II block (Mobitz type II), all conducted beats show a constant, typically normal PR interval
, and conduction to the ventricles occurs at regular intervals. This form is identical to the type of AV block described by Hay
in 1906 without the benefit of electrocardiography. Mobitz included 2 : 1, 3 : 1 AV block in his type II classification, and indicated the serious nature of type II block and its propensity to Adams-Stokes attacks.
The Woldemar-Mobitz-Forschungspreis for works concerning rhythmology is awarded by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Kardiologie.
Mobitz was born on May 31, 1889 in St. Petersburg, Russia. He attended the local high school in Meiningen
Meiningen
Meiningen is a town in Germany - located in the southern part of the state of Thuringia and is the district seat of Schmalkalden-Meiningen. It is situated on the river Werra....
(Saxony
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
, Germany) from which he graduated in 1908. He then studied medicine at the Universities of Freiburg
Freiburg
Freiburg im Breisgau is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. In the extreme south-west of the country, it straddles the Dreisam river, at the foot of the Schlossberg. Historically, the city has acted as the hub of the Breisgau region on the western edge of the Black Forest in the Upper Rhine Plain...
and Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, where he earned his doctorate in 1914 (“Contributions to Basedow disease”). He then worked at the Surgical Hospitals in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and Halle as well as in internal medicine
Internal medicine
Internal medicine is the medical specialty dealing with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of adult diseases. Physicians specializing in internal medicine are called internists. They are especially skilled in the management of patients who have undifferentiated or multi-system disease processes...
at the University Hospitals of Munich and Freiburg. In Munich, Mobitz was promoted to the position of a senior lecturer thanks to his research on heart block. In 1928, after a 4-year tenure, he accepted a post in Freiburg as Associate Professor and Chief of Staff of the Clinic of Internal Medicine. In 1943, he became Director of the Medical Hospital in Magdeburg-Sudenburg Municipal Hospital until the occupation by the Soviet army in 1945. Mobitz’s work was devoted to internal medicine and he was especially interested in cardiology
Cardiology
Cardiology is a medical specialty dealing with disorders of the heart . The field includes diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular heart disease and electrophysiology...
. From 1924 to 1928, he published his famous key papers on AV dissociation and heart block
Heart block
A heart block can be a blockage at any level of the electrical conduction system of the heart .* Blocks that occur within the sinoatrial node are described as SA nodal blocks....
. In 1924, Mobitz differentiated two types of second degree AV block with the aid of the electrocardiogram
Electrocardiogram
Electrocardiography is a transthoracic interpretation of the electrical activity of the heart over a period of time, as detected by electrodes attached to the outer surface of the skin and recorded by a device external to the body...
and characterized their prognostic significance. With type I (Mobitz type I), the PR interval
PR interval
In electrocardiography, the PR interval is measured from the beginning of the P wave to the beginning of the QRS complex. It is usually 120 to 200 ms long. On the usual 25 mm/s ECG tracing, this corresponds to 3 to 5 small boxes. The PR interval reflects the time the electrical impulse takes to...
increases gradually until there is a breakdown of AV conduction. This form is identical to the previously described type of second-degree AV block by Wenckebach at the end of the nineteenth century. With type II block (Mobitz type II), all conducted beats show a constant, typically normal PR interval
PR interval
In electrocardiography, the PR interval is measured from the beginning of the P wave to the beginning of the QRS complex. It is usually 120 to 200 ms long. On the usual 25 mm/s ECG tracing, this corresponds to 3 to 5 small boxes. The PR interval reflects the time the electrical impulse takes to...
, and conduction to the ventricles occurs at regular intervals. This form is identical to the type of AV block described by Hay
Hay
Hay is grass, legumes or other herbaceous plants that have been cut, dried, and stored for use as animal fodder, particularly for grazing livestock such as cattle, horses, goats, and sheep. Hay is also fed to pets such as rabbits and guinea pigs...
in 1906 without the benefit of electrocardiography. Mobitz included 2 : 1, 3 : 1 AV block in his type II classification, and indicated the serious nature of type II block and its propensity to Adams-Stokes attacks.
The Woldemar-Mobitz-Forschungspreis for works concerning rhythmology is awarded by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Kardiologie.