About Ambulatory Electrocardiographic Monitoring
When a patient has symptoms—such as palpitations, dizziness or fainting—that are only present intermittently, we attempt to record the heart rhythm (pattern of electrical activity) during an episode. Holter monitors are worn by the patient for 24-48 hours. Longer-term “event monitors” are worn for up to 4 weeks at a time. The duration of monitoring that we choose depends on how frequently the person is having symptoms. Event monitors are also helpful in screening people who have had a stroke for an abnormal rhythm called atrial fibrillation.