Holter Monitor use helps detect cardiac arrhythmias and their relationship to symptoms. Holter monitors are the same size as a pager and can be carried with a patient. Holter monitoring enables doctors to record an electrocardiogram for long periods.

The Holter Monitor 24-hour heart test is a long-term electrocardiogram, also know as an EKG or ECG. Holter monitoring is a non-invasive EKG test that records the electrical activity of the heart to help the cardiologist diagnose heart disease by measuring the rate and regularity of heartbeats, position & size of the heart's chambers, any damage it may have suffered, and the effects of drugs he may be using to treat you or that of medical devices helping your heart such as a pacemaker.

Cardiac arrhythmia may not be detected during a physical exam and routine ECG which traces the EKG rhythm on a moving strip of paper. Holter monitors use digital recording media. Interpreting Holter monitor results is done later by the doctor using a computer and special software.

Heart rhythm disturbances are common and a normal person may have a few heart rhythm disturbances without symptoms or causing any significant alteration of heart function. But some cardiac arrhythmias may cause symptoms without serious adverse effects. They could be a warning sign of fatal arrhythmias and impending sudden cardiac arrest. For that reason, diagnosis of cardiac arrhythmia is very important for persons suffering from structural heart disease. However, a brieft heart electrocardiogram may not reveal much due to the frequency of symptoms and arrhythmia.

Analysis of this Holter Monitor 24-hour heart test results shows sudden heart rate drop from 94 beats per minute to 47 beats per minute and intermittent interruption of electrical conduction from the upper chamber to lower chamber of the heart causing the heart rate to drop by half which causes insufficient blood supply to the brain and body. Permanent cardiac pacemaker insertion was recommended.

During a 24 hour Holter Monitor EKG test, multiple ECG leads are placed at strategic positions on the chest of the patient and connected to the ambulatory Holter heart monitor. The patient is told to record his or her activity and symptoms during Holter Monitor use. This combination of Holter and event monitoring helps the cardiologist interpreting Holter Monitor results.

Persons likely to benefit from a Holter Monitor 24-hour heart test inlcude:

• Persons experiencing symptoms suspected of cardiac arrhythmias such as palpitations, dizziness, and fainting which is the reason for more than 3% of visits to hospital emergency rooms;
• High-risk patients to cleary detect cardiac arrhythmia so the level of risk can be determined;
• Heart patients who have already received treatment so the effectiveness of the treatment can be evaluated.