Holter Monitoring
Your doctor may request that you wear a Holter monitor for 24 hours to record your heart’s electrical activity. Sometimes, your doctor may recommend wearing the Holter monitor for a longer period.
During a Holter monitoring test, you will wear a small, portable recorder either over your shoulder or around your waist. Allow about 30 minutes for the initial placement of the monitor. The technician will first clean several small areas on your chest. If necessary, the technician will shave some of your chest hair. Then the technician will place electrodes on your chest. The adhesive used will keep these electrodes on for the duration of the test. After sticking your electrodes on, the technician will connect them to the monitoring device. Your technician will explain how to properly wear the monitor.
Follow your usual daily routine and activities for the next 24 hours. During this time, please write down any symptoms you experience, along with any medications you take, in a diary that we’ll provide.
After your 24-hour test, return to the Cardiopulmonary Services Department, and a technician will remove the Holter monitor and collect your diary. After we analyze your recorded data, the results will be reported to your doctor who will explain the results to you.
For best results, please follow these tips:
- Bring your doctor’s order for Holter monitoring to the Cardiopulmonary Services Department on the day of your test and register 15 minutes before your appointment.
- Take your normal medications, unless your doctor tells you otherwise.
- Wear a loose-fitting blouse or shirt that opens in the front.
- Replace an electrode if it detaches and record the time it became unstuck in your diary.
- Let us know if you have a pacemaker.
- Don’t shower or swim while wearing the monitor and don’t get the recorder or electrodes wet.
- Don’t use an electric blanket, heating pad or get close to a magnet while wearing the recorder.
- Don’t apply lotion or powder before we attach your monitor electrodes.
Holter monitoring tests are performed by appointment only.Â