XNUMX-hour ECG monitoring (according to Holter)

Modern diagnostic technologies in medicine make it possible to more efficiently and effectively conduct a survey of the whole organism and find hidden diseases, congenital pathologies and neoplasms that appear throughout a person’s life. XNUMX-hour ECG monitoring (according to Holter) or XNUMX-hour Holter recording is a diagnostic that consists in continuous recording of the electrical activity of the heart.

Features of XNUMX-hour ECG monitoring (according to Holter)

Holter ECG monitoring or Holter ECG was introduced into clinical practice in the mid-90s. The study consisted in monitoring the work of the heart. The technique and equipment for the procedure was developed by the American biophysicist Norman Holter.

Now Holter ECG is considered one of the most reliable diagnostics of cardiac electrical activity disorders throughout the day, in conditions of habitual physical activity for the patient during the day and night. A special device is attached to the patient’s body, it is called a portable recorder, which conducts an uninterrupted ECG recording using electrodes that are attached to the patient’s chest.

Such a diagnosis allows you to fix any violation of cardiac activity. With the help of the technique, it became possible to timely detect serious pathological changes that cannot be detected during a routine examination by a cardiologist or when registering a routine ECG.

The patient wears the equipment in a special case. The study will not interfere with the usual way of life and will not cause discomfort or discomfort. The patient should record any changes that occur to his health. The information is recorded on paper, the exact time of deterioration is indicated and against the background of what this deterioration occurred.

The main advantages of diagnostics: a modern device records a huge amount of data, the analysis of which will make it possible to make a correct diagnosis; the device will detect any pathology of the heart; thanks to the study, it is possible to timely identify the daily number of arrhythmias, the type of arrhythmias and conduction, ischemic signs; conducting a study in the usual conditions will give correct and reliable indications of the work of the heart, since this eliminates an additional stressful background.

What is the difference between a conventional ECG and a Holter ECG?

If we compare conventional electrocardiography with daily monitoring, then the first research method will be less informative and reliable. ECG is a recording of cardiac activity, which is carried out for 15-30 seconds in a state of complete rest. With its help, you can see the electrical processes in the heart, but only for a short period of time.

Standard electrocardiography will not be able to determine hidden cardiac pathologies that do not manifest themselves clinically and are not recorded during the recording by the device at rest, or appear at an indefinite time during the day. As a result of a routine study, it is impossible to see the functioning of the heart during eating, intense physical exertion, during sleep and rest.

Also, the stressful state of the patient can affect the correctness of the ECG results. This is due to the fact that during stress on the cardiogram there will be phenomena that can be misinterpreted as a pathology. Due to unreliable results, an incorrect diagnosis can be made, then the treatment will be ineffective and even dangerous to human health.

XNUMX-hour monitoring (according to Holter) will help to identify disorders in the work of the heart that are of a “transient” nature (ischemic heart disease, heart rhythm and conduction disturbances). The duration of the diagnosis depends on what abnormal and pathological phenomena the attending physician suspects.

To conduct a daily study, a portable recorder is used that records all cardio readings. Modern devices can record not only indicators of cardiac activity, but also blood pressure, respiratory indicators and others. This technique is allowed to be carried out even by pregnant women and the elderly. ECG monitoring is indicated for all patients who have abnormalities or abnormalities in the work of the heart.

When is Holter ECG prescribed?

The Holter method is recommended for people of all ages, including pregnant women. Fainting, dizziness, discomfort in the heart area, attacks of interruptions in the work of the heart, palpitations, shortness of breath – all these symptoms are subject to daily Holter ECG monitoring.

In relation to the established nosology, this diagnostic procedure is indicated for the following diseases:

• heart defects;
• diseases of the endocrine system;
• obesity;
• acute or chronic heart failure;
• transferred myocardial infarction;
• arterial hypertension;
• hypertension that is not amenable to therapeutic treatment.

It is also advisable to do a Holter ECG in order to monitor the operation of the pacemaker.

Types of Holter ECG monitoring

At present, a daily study is the best way to conduct a general diagnosis of the body and health status. The survey can be carried out in 2 ways: full-scale and fragmentary.

The fragmentary method is used when an arrhythmia is detected in a person. If the patient begins to feel discomfort, pain in the chest area, a general deterioration in well-being, he presses the button of the device and the recording of cardiac parameters begins.

A full-scale diagnostic method lasts for a minimum of 1 day and a maximum of 1-2 weeks. An ordinary cardiogram will not give such complete data as the method of a famous American biophysicist.

The doctor can assign several tasks to the patient, the results of which will be recorded by the device. For example, the patient needs to go up to the 7th floor, then go down. At this time, the recorder will record the performance of the heart, which will determine the patient’s health status.

Stages of preparation for the survey and features of its conduct

In order for the technique to show reliable results, the patient should prepare for the procedure, which will last for 24 hours or 3 or more days. Before manipulation, it is necessary to take a shower, because during the examination, the patient must not remove the equipment or wet it with water. Metal jewelry and accessories (watches, earrings, pendants) should be removed, as metal negatively affects the accuracy of cardio readings. For the duration of the manipulation, you need to wear comfortable clothes, preferably cotton.

For proper operation of the device, water should not be allowed to enter the equipment, contacts of the equipment with other devices that create magnetic fields around themselves should be avoided. Care must be taken to carry the recorder so as not to damage its integrity: it must not be dropped or hit.

The equipment consists of 2 parts – a stationary decoder and a recording device that takes readings. The electrodes are fixed on the skin.

A full-scale study of the heart is carried out when the patient leads his usual lifestyle, prepares food, runs, sleeps, eats, and rests. Everything that the patient does during monitoring is recorded in the diary. The time spent on a certain action is fixed. You can characterize your condition in three indicators: worsened, improved or remained unchanged.

Rules and recommendations during the Holter ECG: first, do not exhaust yourself with physical exertion, because there is a risk that the electrodes will detach from the skin and the diagnostic results will be inaccurate; second, the patient should avoid stressful situations; thirdly, it is undesirable to travel, fly on an airplane or ride attractions during the examination; fourth – you can not expose the device to strong temperature changes; fifth, protect the recorder from moisture and water.

The patient should lie on his back so that the location of the electrodes is not disturbed. If your back hurts, you can roll over on your side, but at the same time monitor the operation of the device. This technique is considered safe, it does not cause complications and pathological changes. Cardio registration should not be prescribed for people with high blood pressure, left ventricular diastolic dysfunction, organ dysfunction, acquired heart defects, asymptomatic myocardial ischemia, angina pectoris (chest discomfort).

Explanation of results

Holter ECG monitoring will provide a complete picture of the state of the human heart. Upon completion of the survey, the process of deciphering and analyzing the data obtained begins. Previously, decryption was carried out manually and took a very long time. Now end-to-end analysis is carried out using a computer. A graph is created on the monitor with cardio indicators, which are then studied by a specialist.

Indicators that the apparatus necessarily fixes: ST segment dynamics, data on cardiac conduction and cardiac arrhythmias, sinus rhythm parameters. During such a long procedure, the following diagnoses can be made: tachycardia (rapid heartbeat), bradycardia, atrial fibrillation, ventricular ectopia, bigeminia, premature heart contractions and other dangerous diseases.

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