Standstill is best described as which of the following?

• A. Heart has ceased generating electrical impulses; cardiac arrest
• B. Normal sinus rhythm
• C. Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation
• D. Atrial flutter

Answer: (C)

Standstill describes a temporary interruption of normal atrial electrical activity. In paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, these interruptions occur in episodes that start and stop abruptly, producing sudden, transient pauses in organized atrial contraction before rhythm returns toward normal. This episodic, intermittent disruption fits the idea of a standstill more than a continuous rhythm, a complete lack of electrical activity, or another organized atrial tachyarrhythmia. The other options describe either normal rhythm, complete electrical arrest, or a continuously organized rhythm (atrial flutter), which don’t align with the idea of a transient interruption captured by standstill.