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Holter Monitor
Overview
An EKG may also be done for other reasons, including, but not
limited to, the following:
- During a physical examination, an EKG may be performed to
obtain a baseline tracing of the heart's function. This baseline
tracing may be used later as a comparison with future EKGs,
to determine if any changes have occurred.
- An EKG may be performed as part of a work-up prior to a procedure
such as surgery, to determine if there is a pre-existing heart
condition that may cause complications during or after the procedure.
- An EKG may be performed to assess the function of an implanted
pacemaker.
- An EKG may be performed to determine the effectiveness of
certain heart medications.
- An EKG may be performed to assess the heart's status after
an MI, or after a heart-related procedure such as a cardiac
catheterization, heart surgery, electrophysiological studies,
etc.
When symptoms such as dizziness, fainting, low blood pressure,
prolonged fatigue, and palpitations continue to occur without
a definitive diagnosis obtained with a resting EKG, an exercise
EKG, or a signal-average EKG, your physician may request an EKG
tracing to be run over a long period of time.
Certain arrhythmias, which can cause the symptoms noted above,
may occur only intermittently, or may occur only under certain
conditions, such as stress. Arrhythmias of this type are difficult
to obtain on an EKG tracing that only runs for a few minutes.
Thus, the physician will request this prolonged type of EKG tracing,
called a Holter monitor, to have a better opportunity to capture
any abnormal beats or rhythms that may be causing your symptoms.
The Holter monitor records continuously for the entire period
of 24 to 48 hours. Some Holter monitors may record continuously
but also have an event monitor feature that you activate when
symptoms start, so that the recording is marked at the time your
symptoms start.
Procedures Listing
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