Cardiac Monitoring
About
Cardiac monitoring is a continuous monitoring of heart activity and cardiac rhythm for a period of 24 hours or longer using a type of ambulatory electrocardiography device called Holter.
There are two types of monitoring: short term (1, 2 or 3 days), so called Holter monitoring, registers the heart activity, and extended (7 or 14 days), so called cardiac event monitoring, which can give the insight of occasional cardiac arrhythmias.
Target group
Cardiac monitoring is done with the patients who experience heart activity disorder symptoms or any other similar discomfort in cardiac zone.
The procedure
You will receive a recorder and a diary.
The recorder has a button which should not be pressed under any circumstances in case of Holter monitoring (1, 2 or 3 days monitoring). You are required to accurately describe your daily activities of any kind and any discomfort symptom you may experience.
In case of cardiac event monitoring (7 or 14 days monitoring), however, you have to press the button every time you experience discomfort symptom and describe that symptom accurately in your dairy.
Keep track of...
daily activities such:
Walking, driving, working and session holdings, watching TV, medication usage, sport activities, smoking, alcohol consumption, tensions or excitements, housekeeping activities.
discomfort symptoms such:
Heart palpitations, heart beating, dizziness, giddy feeling, lightheadedness, disorientation, chest pain, anxiety, shortness of breath, radiating pain into throat or arm, hyperventilation, hiccups or swallowing problems or any other similar discomfort in cardiac zone.
Location of tags
The monitoring device is connected to four tags which are placed on your chest: on two inner protuberances of the clavicle (N and -), on the right hand side of the sternum at the height of the fourth rib (V1) and in the line of the left armpit at the height of fifth rib (V2); see the picture of the locations at the bottom of this page.
Special attention
- In case of cardiac event monitoring you have to press button when you feel discomfort. The green light appears for about ten seconds and goes off again.
- Put additional band-aid to keep the tags steady at the place
- You cannot swim, shower, take a bath or go to sauna with the recorder and tags on
- In case you get extra tags and you wish to place them, prepare your skin carefully; remove any body lotion or oil and clean the spots with alcohol in order to remove any grease
- Make sure that the tags are on their place if you sport. Could it happen that they fall off, put the new ones after cleaning the skin spots from grease.
- Make sure that the white tip of the cable is plugged into white input of the device
- Report in your diary any disconnection of the device or tags; place immediately new tags. If you are not able to do it yourself, you should visit the practice as soon as possible where new will be securely placed.
- Women using bracelet bra are advised not to use them during the monitoring as they can interfere with the recording and to use one without bracelet.
- Time recording in your diary should be in 24-hours scale (2PM should be 14.00)
Results
When the monitoring is completed, you need to bring the recorder and your diary back to the practice. The recordings will be evaluated by the cardiologist and, in a separate appointment, GP or Physician Assistant will discuss the findings with you.
The costs for both types of monitoring, Holter and cardiac event, are not excluded from the obligatory deductible, but are much lower than the ones charged by the hospitals.