An event monitor is worn by the patient to continually record the electrical activity of the heart. The patient simply pushes a button on the device when symptoms of abnormal heart rhythm (arrhytmia) occur and the event monitor records the activity. This device can be worn for 30 days. Afterward, the health care provider evaluates the recordings for irregular electrical activity of the heart.

What does it tell the doctor?
Doctors use event monitors to evaluate irregular heartbeats (palpitations), skipped heartbeats, loss of consciousness or fainting, or the effect of drugs on the heart rhythm. When activated, the recorder stores your heartbeat while symptoms occur. The monitor is especially useful in cases when symptoms do not happen frequently.

What happens before the test?
A few areas on your chest will be cleaned with alcohol and scrubbed with a gauze pad to make the electrode patches stick better. The electrode patches measure signals sent from your heart. If you have hair on your chest, it may be necessary to shave small areas where the patches are applied. These patches are connected with thin wires to a tape recorder box. The box is placed in a pouch and connected to a belt or harness you can wear around your waist or shoulder.

What will I experience?
Your doctor will give you a diary called a patient log. In it you will write down information about your symptoms such as when they occur, what you have done before the symptoms started, how you were feeling, etc. This patient log will help the doctor find patterns in your symptoms. After you have recorded several heartbeat sessions, you will call a phone number and download the recordings. These will be sent to your physician electronically.