Event Monitor
What is an Event Monitor?
Event Monitoring is a recording of your heart rhythm when you are having symptoms, or an “event.” You carry a small, lightweight recorder over a period of days or weeks. When you feel symptoms, such as dizziness, palpitations, fainting spells, or chest pain, you press a button to record your heart’s electrical activity. The recording is then sent over the telephone to a receiving center, where it is printed and reviewed by a team of nurses and/or EKG technicians. The report is then faxed to your doctor. This allows your doctor to make an accurate diagnosis and develop a treatment plan that is best for you. The test helps your doctor determine whether your symptoms are caused by a heart problem.
What Results does Event Monitoring show?
An abnormal heart rhythm, called an arrhythmia, is a change in either the speed or pattern of the heartbeat. During an arrhythmia, the heart may beat too fast, too slowly, or irregularly. Doctors can diagnose an arrhythmia, that does not occur frequently, by ordering an event monitor.
benefits of Event Monitoring
- To determine whether symptoms such as dizziness, palpitations, fainting spells, or chest pain are caused by heart disease
- To detect heart rhythm problems that occur irregularly or infrequently
- To see how heart rhythm treatments (pacemaker, medication) are working
- To detect poor blood flow to the heart muscle.
When will I know the results of my Event Monitoring test?
The results will be given to you by your physician at your next follow-up appointment.