Peninsula Cardiology

Holter Monitors

This is basically a tape recorder of the heart rhythm. Your Doctor may request this test for the following reasons

• Palpitations
• To see if your heart goes “to fast” or “too slow”
• To investigate dizziness, light-headedness or blackouts
• To test the effects of certain cardiac medications

Many patients come to their doctor complaining of 'palpitations" which is a word used by people to describe the fact that feel there heart beating excessively or abnormally. Blackouts, dizziness or lightheadedness are another reason your doctor may suspect you have a problem with your heart rhythm. Other reasons for doing the test include monitoring your heart rate when you have a known cardiac condition.

It is often hard to pick up the abnormal heart rhythm unless you are at hospital at the time. Unfortunately, like a watched pot that never boils, when you arrive at the hospital, many times the symptoms are not present (like your car stops rattling as soon as you go into the mechanic). Your doctor may suspect that an abnormal heart rhythm is responsible and this test is intended to find out what kind of heart rhythm you are having when you feel your typical symptoms. To find out, you will be asked to wear a special tape recorder for 24 hours. You will have a button to press which will alert us as to how your heart was beating at that time and we will be able to tell you exactly what your heart was doing at that time. You can also write down symptoms at the same time in a “diary”. Hopefully in that time, you will experience the same symptoms and the tape recorder will save them. When you return, the technician will play back the tape in a special machine that reads it and print out the findings. The cardiologist will report it and send this to your referring doctor. One typical recording is shown below:

The technician/nurse will escort you into a private room (or your house) and ask you to remove your shirt or top. He/she will then prepares the skin on the chest by shaving the area, wiping small areas clean with some alcohol, some special sandpaper. This is designed to optimize the contact with the skin to get the best tracing. He/she will then put some adhesive electrodes onto three areas (chest) and then snap wires to connect to these electrodes. These wires then hook to a small tape recorder box that is within a cloth carrying bag so that you can wear it around your neck for the duration of the test. You will then get dressed and leave the room. During the time that you wear the recorder, you will also carry a diary. Please write down your activities, any symptoms and the time of day that you feel them in the diary. Please be careful not to get the recorder wet. You will not be able to shower while you wear this recorder so please have one before-hand. The test is usually quite painless. However, wearing a tape recorder for a couple of days may be slightly annoying to some and those with sensitive skin may develop a slight rash to the tape adhesive. Please let the technician know if you have an allergy or skin sensitivity to tape adhesive.

The results will usually be available within 2-3 working days. Remember, Your heart beats approximately 100,000 times per day so there is a lot of information to go through.

Holter tests will be fitted by Bayside Pathology but will be read by Dr Rodney Teperman (or a fellow specialist cardiologist) and Mr Damian Flenley (Senior Cardiac Technologist). This may be done at home to maximize your privacy and convenience or at the rooms.