what is the principle of Holter monitoring (ambulatory electrocardiogram) ?
108453
Usually three electrodes, more or less, are stuck to your chest, and connected to a recorder.  You do your thing as normally as you can during the day, and the recorder makes a record of the electrical activity of your heart: it is like having an EKG that lasts 20 or more hours.\n\nThe data from that recorder is run through a machine that analyzes each beat electronically, and summarizes what it sees.  Often, what the machine is constructed to consider worth the effort, is displayed too--specific records of sequences of beats that are possibly interesting.\n\nThe point is to catch abnormal rhythms of the heart, and to see if there is any electrical activity that indicates an impoverishment of the blood flow to a part of your heart.  Since the person wearing the Holter writes down any symptom and when they have it, the monitor can be cross-checked with what the person is doing and feeling at any given time.\n\nDoes that help?
718118
Heart Disease: Abnormal Heart Rhythm\n\nAn arrhythmia (also called dysrhythmia) is an irregular heartbeat. Heart rates can also be irregular. A normal heart rate is 50 to 100 beats per minute. Arrhythmias and abnormal heart rates don't necessarily occur together. arrhythmias can occur with a normal heart rate, or with heart rates that are slow (called bradyarrhythmias -- less than 60 beats per minute). arrhythmias can also occur with rapid heart rates (called tachyarrhythmias -- faster than 100 beats per minute).\n\nWhat Causes an Arrhythmia?\n\nArrhythmias may be caused by many different factors, including:\n\n    * Coronary artery disease\n    * Electrolyte imbalances in your blood (such as sodium or potassium).\n    * Changes in your heart muscle.\n    * Injury from a heart attack\n    * Healing process after heart surgery.\n\nIrregular heart rhythms can also occur in "normal, healthy" hearts.\n\nWhat Are the Types of Arrhythmias?\n\n    * Premature atrial contractions. These are early extra beats that originate in the atria (upper chambers of the heart). They are harmless and do not require treatment.\n    * Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs). These are among the most common arrhythmias and occur in people with and without heart disease. This is the skipped heartbeat we all occasionally experience. In some people, it can be related to stress, too much caffeine or nicotine, or too much exercise. But sometimes, PVCs can be caused by heart disease or electrolyte imbalance. People who have a lot of PVCs, and/or symptoms associated with them, should be evaluated by a heart doctor. However, in most people, PVCs are usually harmless and rarely need treatment.\n    * Atrial fibrillation. AF is a very common irregular heart rhythm that causes the atria, the upper chambers of the heart to contract abnormally.\n    * Atrial flutter. This is an arrhythmia caused by one or more rapid circuits in the atrium. Atrial flutter is usually more organized and regular than atrial fibrillation. This arrhythmia occurs most often in people with heart disease, and in the first week after heart surgery. It often converts to atrial fibrillation.\n    * Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT). A rapid heart rate, usually with a regular rhythm, originating from above the ventricles. PSVT begins and ends suddenly. There are two main types: accessory path tachycardias and AV nodal reentrant tachycardias (see below).\n    * Accessory pathway tachycardias. A rapid heart rate due to an extra abnormal pathway or connection between the atria and the ventricles. The impulses travel through the extra pathways as well as through the usual route. This allows the impulses to travel around the heart very quickly, causing the heart to beat unusually fast.\n    * AV nodal reentrant tachycardia. A rapid heart rate due to more than one pathway through the AV node. It can cause heart palpitations, fainting or heart failure . In many cases, it can be terminated using a simple maneuver performed by a trained medical professional, medications or a pacemaker.\n    * Ventricular tachycardia (V-tach). A rapid heart rhythm originating from the lower chambers (or ventricles) of the heart. The rapid rate prevents the heart from filling adequately with blood; therefore, less blood is able to pump through the body. This can be a serious arrhythmia, especially in people with heart disease, and may be associated with more symptoms. A heart doctor should evaluate this arrhythmia.\n    * Ventricular fibrillation. An erratic, disorganized firing of impulses from the ventricles. The ventricles quiver and are unable to contract or pump blood to the body. This is a medical emergency that must be treated with cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation as soon as possible.\n    * Long QT syndrome. The QT interval is the area on the electrocardiogram (ECG) that represents the time it takes for the heart muscle to contract and then recover, or for the e
461189
Also known as SVTs, it describes a very rapid heart rate. It would be helpful to know the underlying rhythm (ie: atrial flutter, atrial tachycardia, etc...) If you find out, post this question again. It would be helpful to know a few other things about you, so I'll have to give a broad answer. The heart is unique tissue that beats when it receives electrical impulses (you may have seen actors who pose as "dead patients" on t.v. get "shocked" in the ER with electricity to help their hearts beat again). With SVTs, a part of your heart gets "excited" and starts to shoot off it's own electrical impulses, which can cause the heart to beat out of rhythm, and very fast. You should see a cardiologist and have a few tests such as a 12-Lead EKG, 2d echo, holter monitor, blood & thyroid tests, and possibly a stress test. Many young females get SVTs, which is usually harmless and do not cause any longterm problems. These cases can be treated with simple lifestyle modifications that can minimize attacks (such as sleeping better, reducing stress and eliminating caffeine products). Patients can do Valsalva manuevers to stop SVTs. As far as alternative, homeopathic, etc... there are no products that have shown evidence in successfully treating SVTs. If you ever find that your SVTs won't stop, you may get dizzy, get chest pain and your cardiac output will fall and you can pass out. Have someone dip your face/head in a bucket of ice-cold water (the mammalian diving reflex) and call 911. Medications, ablation, cardioversion, etc... are reserved for advanced cases. These patients may be older or have other cardiac issues going on. Or they can get SVTs before or after a heart attack due to changes that occurs in a part of the heart called the "Atrium". I hope I was able to answer some of your questions...
140948
A lie dectector is base on your heart rate.  WPW may alter the result of your test. See your doctor before you take this test
801717
<>An EKG (or ECG) takes sequential readings of the electrical signal generated by the heart.  It does so using a series of electrodes: 1 is placed on each limb and readings are taken from arm to arm and arm to leg (a total of 6 readings).  5 electrodes are placed across the chest and each of those readings recorded.  The 12 readings (a 12-lead EKG) give different views of the electrical conductivity of the heart and can be interpreted by a trained reader to divulge a number of different problems.
150174
The EKG estimates the net vector (in two dimensions) of the electrical activity of the heart; from the direction that the V1 lead looks (Above and to the right of the heart, as I recall laying out the electrodes years ago), the electrical activity is going away from the lead--towards the feet, or in the QRS part (the really big deflection), it's going from the AV node toward the tip of the ventricles.  That would be read as a negative direction.\n\nRemember, at every instant in time, the EKG is recording the equivalent of the dot product between the actual vector of the flow of current (so to speak) in the heart, and a vector that is created by connecting the leads in question.  For the V1 lead (a precordial lead), the leads connected to the limbs are used as a single lead, sort of grounding things out between all four of them (think of it being a lead somewhere behind the belly button, if you want), and then measuring the dot product of the electrical vector and a line connecting the V1 position with that.\n\nA little vector algebra makes this a LOT easier!
320207
I also have MVP.  In my case, the person doing the ECG showed me the fault.  I was able to see the valve failing and allowing blood to flow in the wrong direction.  I'd get another ECG done and request to see the result.  It should be easy as it's just a matter of having them point it out to you on the screen.  I wish you all the best!
61298
Irregular heart beats and palpitations are two entirely separate entities.\nIrregular heart beats premature, fast, or slow beats and are caused by an electrical "glitch" in the heart.  They are often benign, meaning they won't harm you.  They can occur because of drugs, including caffeine, diet pills, supplements, etc, because of medical problems such a high thyroid levels or electrolyte imbalances, because of significant medical problems, and also without any apparent "reason".  The medical tests performed for irregular heart beats includes EKGs, holter monitors to record your heart rhythm, event monitors and more.  These tests are performed to find out if there is a cause of the irregularity that needs to be "fixed".  The results are also used to predict whether any harm is likely to come to you, because of the irregular rhythm.  Many irregular rhythms do not require any treatment.  \nPalpitations are the SENSATION that your heart is beating too fast, too hard, too slow, or irregularly.  You can have palpitations with a totally regular heart rhythm.  They can also be caused by irregular rhythms, both dangerous ones AND non-dangerous ones.  Some people have palpitations because of anxiety, even if they don't actually feel anxious, anxiety can cause palpitations in these people.
146032
You mention that you have seen several doctors and had several tests, but have you been to a Electrophysiologist ? This is a cardiologist who only specializes in diseases and disorders relating to arithmia's.While there may be several causes to your symptoms sometimes the only way to find out difinitavly what may be causing these fluxuations in your heart rate are two tests,one is what they simply call a tilt table test.simply put they strap you down to a table (only so you won't fall) and they monitor your vitals laying completly flat and start to tilt the table both forward and backwards (as if they were tipping you up side down)this is often done when your sypmtoms are caused when you go from sitting to standing.this could be caused also by a sudden drop in blood pressure from standing,the other test is is a Electrophysiology (E.P. Study)\nThe procedure involves inserting a catheter – a narrow, flexible tube – attached to electricitymonitoring electrodes, into a blood vessel, often through a site in the groin or neck, and winding the catheter wire up into the heart. The journey from entry point to heart muscle is navigated by images created by a fluoroscope, an x-ray-like machine that provides continuous, “live” images of the catheter and heart muscle. Once the catheter reaches the heart, electrodes at its tip gather data and a variety of electrical measurements are made. These data pinpoint the location of the faulty electrical site. During this “electrical mapping,” the cardiac arrhythmia specialist, an electrophysiologist, may instigate, through pacing (the use of tiny electrical impulses), some of the very arrhythmias that are the crux of the problem. The events are safe, given the range of experts and resources close at hand and are necessary to ensure the precise location of the problematic tissue.\n\nOnce the damaged site or sites are confirmed, the specialist may administer different medications or electrical impulses to determine their ability to halt the arrhythmia and restore normal heart rhythm. Based on this data, as well as information garnered before the study, sometimes the specialist will proceed to place an implantable cardioverter device (ICD) or a pacemaker or will perform radiofrequency ablation. In any case, the information proves useful for diagnosis and treatment.\n\nThroughout the procedure, the patient is sedated but awake and remains still. Patients rarely report pain, more often describing what they feel as discomfort. Some watch the procedure on monitors and occasionally ask questions. Others sleep. The procedure usually takes about two hours. The patient remains still for four to six hours afterward to ensure the entry point incision begins to heal properly. Once mobile again, patients may feel stiff and achy from lying still for hours. \n\nI have several arythmia disorders that i was born with and have been through these tests litterally over 50 times in my life,and while it may sound scary and painful it isn't ,you will receive sedation and pain medicine.Plus the info they can learn from these procedures in some instances can be life saving.Now i'm not saying you may have something life threatning.it may very well be something as simple as anxiety related but if it is bothersome enough that it scares you as much as it seems to i think i would see one of these doctors just to be on the safe side.
1118439
It's called a defibrillator.  \n\nA defibrillator is a medical device used in the defibrillation of the heart. It consists of a central unit and a set of two electrodes. The central unit provides a source of power and control. The two electrodes are placed directly on or in the patient. The device is designed to deliver an electric shock to the patient, in an effort to stop ventricular fibrillation (heart attack).
58546
you need a stress test/ekg\nA Holter monitor is a good thing also.\ntalk to you doctor because it sounds like you may have a defect of some type
460496
the electrocardiogram is a noninvasive test to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of hearth disease and related conditions a EKG records the hearth electrical activity in a visual graph they are also called stress test.The electrocardiograph is the result of the test in other words a electrocardiograph.
920644
You may have a heart murmur, which believe it or not , quite a few people are born with one and never have any problems. You may also have a prolapsed heart valve. Either way you need to see a doctor. You will need tests such as an EKG or electrocardiogram. Both tests are very simple to do.
1024838
I'm not a surgeon but have a lot of personal experience with angioplasty.  Arrhythmia can be detected on an ECG as it is an abnormal beat.  If it develops there are numerous options to control from pace makers to medication.  Just depends on the type.  Aortic diseases refer to blockage in the aorta.  This is the major artery in the body as all blood flows through it and it supplies all organs except the lungs with oxygenated blood.  Like any artery it can become diseased and block off.  This artery is checked when the doctor performs the angiogram.  (If the doctor accessed the heart by going through the groin then he entered the aorta to get to the heart) This artery can be cleared as any other and if the blockage is serious enough they can bypass it using an artificial artery.\n\nRelaxing will be a key to feeling better.  Any heart procedure can be scary and it takes awhile to get a good mental control over the episode.  Just don't dwell on it.  It may not be a bad idea to consult a mental health clinic.  Just like any organ the brain is subject to some strange reactions.  Mental health clinics are a good source of professionals trained to deal with things such as anxiety and depression which can occur after a heart procedure.\n\nGood luck and i hope your father is soon better.
1095104
I would suggest that you get the book by;\n\nDale Davis;\n\nDiffererential Diagnosis of Arrhythmias\n\nPublished by;\n\nW B Saunders company\nHarcourt Brace Jovanovich Inc.\nThe Curtis Center\nIndependence square west Phila. PA 19106\n\nISBN 0-7216-3691-8\n\nThis is an Awesome book that puts it in it's easiest form and gives plenty of examples to look at as you read the process' and also a test your knowledge part in the back.\n\nAs far as going for a full interp on a 12 lead ecg you would need about a year of school just to get ready for the International Certified Cardiology Technician test.
279039
WPW is a pre-excitation syndrome characterized by a delta wave on an ekg. An abnormal conduction of the depolarization impulse from the atria to the ventricles. Most patients are asymptomatic but it can produce tachydysrhythmias usually through rentry. Would have nothing to do with a polygraph test.
971801
It might be escape pacemaker.\n"ectopic p.  any biological cardiac pacemaker other than the sinoatrial node; under normal conditions it is not active. \n\nescape p.  an ectopic pacemaker that assumes control of cardiac impulse propagation because of failure of the sinoatrial node to generate one or more normal impulses. "\n\n   from: http://www.mercksource.com/pp/us/cns/cns_hl_dorlands.jspzQzpgzEzzSzppdocszSzuszSzcommonzSzdorlandszSzdorlandzSzdmd-a-b-000zPzhtm\n\n\n\nJust out of curiosity, are you with the\nUniversity of New Mexico Exercise Program??\nhttp://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/EKG/ekgscholarwk7.html\n\nI put a couple words/phrases of your question into Yahoo\nand came to a site with the exact question. Seems to be\na tough course.\n\nWondering if you are indeed taking this class if your instructor\nput together some useful resources in your syllabus, if the\nlibrary has been helpful (tailored tours/introductions, user friendly web site, etc).  Just curious. I see the library subscribes to MD consult and StatRef. Both are pretty good resources. \n\nAnyways,\nhope this helps...and good luck with this class if you are indeed taking it.\n\nIf not, well, the joke is on me.\n\nJanice