About Holter Monitoring
A holter monitor is a portable, battery operated device used to record the heart’s electrical activity over a 24-hour period. Continuous 24-hour recording is more likely to detect abnormalities than a single resting ECG. The recordings can be correlated to your symptoms which is important in the interpretation of abnormal events.
Why have a Holter Monitor?
  1. Detection of clinically suspected abnormal heart rhythms
  2. Unexplained syncope
  3. Follow-up and assessment of myocardial infarction
  4. Assessing patients withchest pain or those athigh risk of heart disease
  5. Follow-up and assessment after cardiac surgery
  6. Diagnosesilentmyocardial ischemia
  7. Diagnosis of clinically suspected ischemic heart disease
  8. Evaluate theefficacyof treatment
  9. Evaluate heart rate variability in heart rate 24 hours
  10.  Preparation
  11. Take a bath prior to the appointment, as you cannot take a bath on the day of the exam.
  12. Please wear loose and comfortable clothing. Try not to wear one-piece dress. A front buttoning shirt is Ideal.
  13. Take your medication as usual, unless instructed by your Doctor. Since some medication can affects heart rhythm, please bring a list of all your current medications
  14. Ensure that you will be able to return the holter the following day.
What happens on the day?
  1. Several areas of the chest may be shaved and clear to ensure contact with the electrodes.
  2. The device is light and easy to carry.
  3. While wearing the holter monitor you should continue with all your usual daily activities.
  4. Moderate exercise is encouraged to ensure that you do not over-sweat.
  5. You will receive a diary. This will require you to make note of the time, the symptom you experienced, and what activity you were doing at the time.
  6. Do not shower or bath while wearing this device.
  7. Do not drop the device or expose it to electrical fields such as welders.
  8. Avoid pressure on your chest or holding children on your chest to prevent interference, which will affect the quality of the examination.
  9. At night time, it is best to find a position with minimal or no pressure on the chest electrodes or the attached wires. Should any of these wires come loose or detach, please reattach the wire and/or press the electrode firmly back on the skin. Often, the use of medical tape can help in this situation.
  10. You will need to return the holter the following day.
Results
After the holter monitor is returned, the full recording will be analysed and a full report will be sent to your doctor within 7 days. You will need to contact the referring doctor who requested the holter monitor to get the results and find out if you require any further testing or treatment.
Risks
There are no risks from holter monitoring. Mild skin irritation may occur where the electrodes made contact with your skin. The skin irritation generally resolve once the electrodes are removed.
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