Holter Monitoring / Event Monitoring

• Non-invasive test to detect changes in heart rhythm
• You wear an electronic heart monitor for 24 hour
  period of normal activity
• No Special Preparation is Required
• Make an appointment to pick up monitor and have it placed on
• Wear the monitor for 24 hour period
• Return it promptly to our office for interpretation

A Holter monitor looks like a tape recorder which is worn around your waist and carried for a period of 24 hours. The tape recorder connects with wires to leads on your body. In this way, all 24 hours of heartbeats are recorded and then analyzed by our physicians with the help of computers. For people who have irregular beating of the heart or palpitations or unexplained spells in which they may lose consciousness, Holter monitoring can help diagnose the problem. Also, if you are known to have an arrhythmia and are being treated for it, we can determine if the treatment is adequate with the use of a Holter monitor. Finally, Holter monitor can also be used to detect subtle electrical changes in the heart caused from an insufficient blood supply. Because we do many of these each day, our turn around time is quite rapid and results can be known within a day or so of wearing the monitor.

Some arrhythmias or episodes do not occur every day and, in this case, a Holter monitor would not be the best test to use to diagnose the problem. After all, you might wear the monitor on a day when nothing happens. In these cases of intermittent arrhythmias, it is often better to use an event monitor. An event monitor looks like a pack of cards. When symptoms are experienced, this device can then be applied to the body to send a signal to a recording device. The doctors at Cardiac Specialists can analyze the rhythm of the heart at that specific time. Event monitors are given out for periods of time and can be carried in the pocket or purse to be used only when symptoms occur. Please see American Heart Association for more information.