Cardiovascular Advisor

What is cardiac event monitoring?

Cardiac event monitoring is used to diagnose heart rhythm problems. You take an event recorder home and turn it on when you have symptoms of irregular heartbeats. You keep the recorder for usually about a month. It is a type of ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring (AEM).

When is it used?

Symptoms such as dizziness, palpitations, shortness of breath, fainting spells, and chest pain have many different possible causes. Cardiac event monitoring may be used to find out what is causing your symptoms. Heartbeats that are too fast or too slow may cause light-headedness or fainting. However, these irregular heart rhythms may not last long enough to show up on an electrocardiogram in your healthcare provider's office or in an emergency room. Cardiac event monitoring helps your provider to find the cause of the rhythm problem, especially if it does not happen often.

What happens during the procedure?

There are different kinds of event monitors. They can be worn like a wristwatch, carried in your purse or pocket, or worn like a beeper. The monitor may or may not be attached to your chest with wires and adhesive patches. You must carry it with you at all times.

When you have pain or other symptoms, you push a button and the monitor stores a record of your heart rhythm at that time. Some monitors that are always kept on may also save information about the rhythm just before and after the event. You may be instructed to send the information over the phone to a monitoring center. To do this, you simply hold the monitor to the mouthpiece of the phone and push a button.

The monitoring center will ask you about your symptoms and review your heart rhythms. They will also prepare a report for your healthcare provider. If your EKG shows a dangerous rhythm, they will contact your healthcare provider right away.

During the time that you wear the monitor, you should keep up your usual activities. Your provider will also ask you to:

• List your activities, such as walking, resting, and eating.
• List any symptoms you have, what you were doing when you had the symptoms, and the date and time for each entry.
• Write down when you take your medicine.

What happens after the procedure?

Your healthcare provider will review the recordings and tell you about the results at your next visit or sooner if needed.

What are the benefits of this test?

Cardiac event monitoring is a useful way to find heart rhythm problems that otherwise might not be found.

What are the risks of this test?

Your skin might be irritated by the adhesive on the electrode patches, but the skin irritation will go away soon after the patches are removed.

When should I call my healthcare provider?

Call your provider right away if:

• You have any change or worsening of pain or symptoms.

Call during office hours if:

• You have questions about the procedure or its result.
• You want to make another appointment.