To begin the test, an electrodiagnostic technician attaches five adhesive electrodes to the skin of the chest. The electrical signals are generally recorded on a magnetic tape for later review. DescriptionĪmbulatory electrocardiography, also called continuous ambulatory electrocardiography or Holter monitoring, involves being attached to a portable recorder for 24 to 48 hours. There are no particular precautions for this test. Because of the compact nature of the device, this test was used by astronauts on the space shuttle to study how the heart adapts to the weightlessness of space. The long-term nature of the test makes it useful in evaluating the effectiveness of medications used to control irregular heartbeats or arrhythmia or the effectiveness of other cardiac treatments. Ambulatory EKG can also detect transient arrhythmias in patients with idiopathic (unknown cause) dilated cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or congestive heart failure. The test can be used to screen for arrhythmias (abnormal heartbeats) and is routinely done in patients after myocardial infarctions that resulted in decreased function of the left ventricle. This disease is sometimes called "silent" ischemia because there are often no outward symptoms of the oxygen deprivation.īecause ambulatory EKG involves 24 hour monitoring, it is also particularly useful in detecting conditions that occur periodically, such as during sleep or at times of emotional or physical stress. It is commonly used in the evaluation of palpitations (unpleasant awareness of the heartbeats) or syncope (fainting) or to detect electrical symptoms of cardiac ischemia, a deficiency of oxygen to the heart due to reduced blood flow. PurposeĪmbulatory EKG has the ability to detect a number of heart problems that do not show up during standard electrocardiography tests in a doctor's office or during a stress test (electrocardiography performed during exercise, also in a doctor's office or EKG laboratory). The PR segment represents the electrical conduction through the atria and the delay of the electrical impulse in the atrioventricular node.Ambulatory electro-cardiography DefinitionĪmbulatory electrocardiography (ECG or EKG) is the continuous monitoring on an outpatient basis of the electrical activity of the heart, with a device called a Holter monitor, while the patient undergoes their usual daily activities. ![]() This slowing signal appears as a flat line on the ECG between the end of the P wave and the beginning of the Q wave. The signal slows down as it passes through this node, allowing the ventricles to fill with blood. The electrical signal passes from the atria to the ventricles through the atrioventricular (AV) node (2). The PR Interval is the time, in seconds, from the beginning of the P wave to the beginning of the QRS complex. ![]() ![]() ![]() This electrical signal is recorded as the P wave on the ECG. The electrical signal begins in the sinoatrial node (1) which is located in the right atrium and travels to the right and left atria, causing them to contract and pump blood into the ventricles. This information is recorded on a graph that shows each phase of the electrical signal as it travels through your heart. Also known as an electrocardiogram or an EKG, an ECG is a test that detects and records the strength and timing of the electrical activity in your heart.
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