48 HOUR HEART MONITOR SKIN

Heart monitors are extremely useful tools that doctors use to accurately make a diagnosis. Examples of medical diagnoses are atrial fibrillation, premature ventricular contractions, and premature atrial contractions. Palpitations and Dizziness are NOT medical diagnoses. The most important decisions a doctor can make are predicated on having an accurate diagnosis. An ambulatory heart monitor typically has 3-6 electrodes attached to the skin, that provides information to a storage device or cloud that can be more sensitive in making a diagnosis. Often, 10 seconds isn’t enough time to make a diagnosis, so an ambulatory heart monitor is ordered.

48 HOUR HEART MONITOR SKIN

An ECG has 12 electrodes attached to the skin that transmit electrical signals from the heart for 10 seconds. First patients are screened with an ECG (electrocardiogram). Heart monitors are vital in making a diagnosis. Patients presenting with dizzy symptoms often need cardiac evaluation, to determine if low heart rates or high heart rates are responsible for their symptoms. It is very important to have a diagnosis to delineate the more serious forms of palpitations from the more benign variety. Occasionally palpitations can be associated with serious underlying heart conditions. Most palpitations are not serious, and more of a nuisance. Palpitations are any symptoms of extra hard beats, skipped beats, or heart fluttering. One of the most common symptoms patients complain of is palpitations. Patients experiencing any cardiac symptoms should consult a physician.

Once a diagnosis is made, patients can be offered therapy to help with symptoms. My job as a cardiologist is to help make a diagnosis when symptoms arise.

48 hour heart monitor