Everything you need to know about your ambulatory ECG monitor

Transcript

If you're watching this video, it's likely you've been referred to wearing an ambulatory ECG monitor. In this video, we walk you through what to expect on the day of your appointment. An ECG monitor or patch is a small wearable device that continuously records your heart's electrical activity, usually over 24 hours to 14 days.

It helps your doctor see how your heart rhythm behaves as you go about your normal routine. On the day of your appointment, don't use body moisturisers, perfumes or powders as they can stop the electrodes from sticking properly. We may need to shave a small area of chest hair to help the electrodes attach securely.

You can do this yourself the night before or we'll do it for you during the appointment. If you'd like a chaperone, just let us know in advance. When you arrive, you'll be asked to remove your clothing from the waist up.

A cardiac physiologist will explain the process and prepare your skin using an alcohol wipe and a special pad. The electrodes will then be applied to your chest and the Holter monitor will be connected. If you're wearing it for more than 24 hours, we'll show you how to change the electrodes yourself.

The whole process takes around 15 minutes. While wearing the monitor, you can carry on with your daily activities including showering. Just keep showers short and avoid getting soap or direct spray on the monitor.

No baths or swimming though. Make sure to keep a diary of your symptoms and activities. This helps your doctor match any events to what your heart was doing at that time.

If the patch starts to peel, press it back down, especially morning and night. If it won't stick, you can use medical tape to secure it. When your monitoring period is over, you can remove the patch yourself, then just drop off the monitor and your diary in the clinic.

Your results will be analysed in a day or two, ready for us to review at your follow-up appointment.