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Holter Monitor
Overview
What is a Holter
Monitor?
The Holter monitor test is used to record your EKG tracing continuously
for a period of 24 hours or longer. You will receive instructions
regarding how long you will need to wear the recorder (usually
24 to 48 hours), how to keep a diary of your activities and symptoms
during the test, and personal care/activity instructions.
What is an Event
Monitor?
Event monitoring is very similar to Holter monitoring, and is
often ordered for the same reasons. With an event monitor, you
wear EKG electrode patches on your chest, and the electrodes are
connected by wire leads to a recording device. Unlike the Holter
monitor, however, which records continuously throughout the testing
period of 24 to 48 hours, the event monitor does not record until
you feel symptoms and trigger the monitor to record your EKG tracing
at that time.
When you feel one or more symptoms, such as chest pain, dizziness,
or palpitations, you push a button on the event monitor recorder.
Some monitors have a feature called "memory loop recording,"
in which the monitor can include a recording of a short period
of time prior to the moment you triggered the recording and afterwards.
This feature can help your physician determine more details about
the possible change in your EKG at the time the symptoms started,
and what was happening with your EKG just before you triggered
the recorder. Other monitors, called "post-event recorders,"
simply start recording your EKG from the moment you trigger it.
Post-event recorders are quite small - some may even be worn
on the wrist (similar to a wristwatch). Memory-loop recorders
are about the size of a pager.
After you experience symptoms and record them, you will send
the recording of the event to your physician or to a central monitoring
center. This transmission is done over the telephone. You will
be instructed regarding how to do this when you have the recorder
set up and attached. You will also keep a diary of your symptoms
and corresponding activities (as done during the Holter monitoring
procedure).
Reasons
for the Procedure
Some reasons your physician may request a Holter monitor procedure
include, but are not limited to, the following:
- to determine the cause of chest pain
- to evaluate other signs and symptoms which may be heart-related,
such as fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness, or fainting,
etc.
- to help identify irregular heartbeats
- to further evaluate arrhythmias noted on resting EKG
Risks of the Procedure
No known risks.
Procedures Listing
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