Monitor of events

Study available for adults and children

As opposed to the traditional 24-hour holter, this study is conducted during 7 consecutive days. This provides a better opportunity to determine any alteration to the heart beat.

Some illnesses, whether heart-related or not, generate symptoms that may be serious or mild or which last only a few seconds. These symptoms can increase in duration and intensity.

EThis group of illnesses include Diabetes Mellitus or high blood preasure which may result in cardiac arrhytmias or syncopes (sudden loss of consciousness) or pre-syncope (imminent feeling of fainting without loosing consciousness) which may result from arrythmias.

The Monitor of Events or holter is one of several methods utilized to diagnose arythmias.

What are arrythmias?

These are alterations of the normal heart beat either faster or slower. The normal cardiac frequency is regular and rhythmic, between 60 and 100 heart beats per minute. Anything below these values is known as bradycardia and above these values, tachicardia.

Arrhythmias may result from heart problems such as infarct, myocarditis, cardiac failure, etc. or due to external illnesses such as anemia, hyperthyroidism, etc. The main symptoms are palpitations with or without tachicardia. Other symptoms may include dizziness, toraxic pain, pre-syncope (imminent feeling of fainting without loosing consciousness) or syncope (sudden loss of consciousness). Sometimes the patient is not aware of the symptoms and the arrythmias are detected during tests conducted for another reason.

With the monitor of events, or holter, the cardiac rhythm can be monitored for longer periods and this increases the opportunity to detect alterations of the rhythm as well as to obtain accurate results.

Preparation for the test

No prepaation is necessary. You should bring a list of the drugs you are taking. Your doctor or technician will indicate if you should discontinue any of these drugs, especially if you are taking beta-blockers such as Tenormin, Inderal, Bisoprolol, Sotalol, Coreg, Atenolol, Metrolol, Nebibolol, Prolaken, Propranolol, Carvedilol and Procoralan.

The Study:

Electrodes (special soft gel patches) are placed on the skin of the thorax and through special cables are connected to a bipper-type recorder with a monitor holder for the waist. This will store all the information of the cardiac rhythm during up to 7 consecutive days. The device will be programmed to automatically record the heart beats it considers abnormal, and will also record the heart rhythm exactly when an abnormal beat occurs. These are the most important steps for diagnosing irregular rhythm, therefore, it is very importnt that the person indicates as accurate as possible the relationship between the activity at that moment and the symptoms, so that the doctor can relate these to the findings of the study.

The patient can shower with the patches, but should remove the recorder and connecting cables. The patient will receive specific instructios on how to re-connect the device properly.

When the period ends the patient should return the device to Cardio Care, where a specialized cardiologist will analyze the tape and make a diagnosis.

After the study

A cardiologist specialized in alterations of the heart rhythm shall analyze the study and deliver a report with the results of the analysis, and, if necessary will make suggestions for the doctor in charge of the patient.