The Holter recorder is used to record the heart’s electrical activity (ECG or Electrocardiogram) during daily life including sleep. It is a continuous recording of the ECG using 3 electrodes that we attach to the skin. It provides information about your heart rhythm over 24 hours or longer period depending on what your doctor is looking for.
Procedures
Imaging
Holter Monitor
Why is it done?
Diagnosis of Heart Rhythm Disorders – Patients may experience palpitations (awareness of the heart beating unusually, including fast and irregularly). Dizzy spells can be heart-related when the heart beats unusually quickly or slowly. We are able to record what the heart’s rhythm is doing at the time symptoms occur, to aid diagnosis of the condition.
Detecting Asymptomatic Heart Rhythm Disorders – There is a range of normal changes in the heart rhythm, but there are a number of heart rhythm changes that patients are not aware of, such as atrial fibrillation (AF), atrial tachycardia and ventricular tachycardia (VT), which can be found during a 24hr ECG recording.
Monitoring Effects of Treatment – There are many reasons why your doctor needs to look at the effect of drug treatment on heart rhythm – one common one is control of the heart rate in those with atrial fibrillation during daily life.
How is it done?
One of our technicians attaches electrodes to the skin after gently removing the surface of dry and hard skin so a good electrical contact can be made. The recorder and connecting wires are usually hidden under your normal clothing. The monitor is about the size of a mobile phone. The appointment time takes about 20 minutes on the first visit.
What clothing and other preparations do I need?
There is no need to fast and you should continue all other activities. It is very important that we know what medications are being taken at the time we do the test. An easy way is to bring all your medications with you to the first appointment.
You cannot bathe or shower during the test as the device is not waterproof. You should take part in all other life activities. You will be given a sheet to complete a diary of what you felt, the time of day and what you were doing at the time you experienced the symptoms.
Normally the recorder is removed in our office but it can be removed, switched off and brought to the office by someone else for you if that is more convenient.
Our technical staff will analyse the recording and prepare a preliminary report which will be reviewed and finalised by a cardiologist before being sent to your doctor. This is a time consuming process which is generally not done while you are there but after you leave the office.
What are the risks of having a Holter?
There are no known serious risks from having a Holter. Occasionally people will get skin irritation from the electrodes but this resolves after they are removed.