Holter Monitoring

A Holtermonitor is a portable device for continuously monitoring various electrical activity of the cardiovascular system for at least 24 hours (often for two weeks at a time).The Holter’s most common use is for monitoring heart activity (electrocardiography or ECG. Its extended recording period is useful for observing occasional cardiac arrhythmias or epileptic events which would be difficult to identify in a shorter period of time. For patients having more transient symptoms, a cardiac event monitor which can be worn for a month or more can be used.

How it is used: When used for the heart, (much like standard electrocardiography) the Holter monitor records electrical signals from the heart via a series of electrodes attached to the chest. Electrodes are placed over bones to minimize artifacts from muscular activity. The number and position of electrodes varies by model, but most Holter monitors employ between three and eight. These electrodes are connected to a small piece of equipment that is attached to the patient’s belt or hung around the neck, and is responsible for keeping a log of the heart’s electrical activity throughout the recording period.