A Holter monitor is a recorder that picks up electrical signals from your heart so that your doctor may analyze your heart rhythm. When you arrive in the office, a medical assistant will connect you to the Holter, which you will wear for a period of 24 to 48 hours, depending on your doctor’s instructions.

The medical assistant will first prep your skin in order to make a secure connection between your skin and the electrodes. Connected to the recorder are five to seven electrodes, which the technician places on your chest and secures with tape.

Before you leave, the medical assistant will give you a diary in which you will enter your activities and symptoms, which you will bring back with you the next day when you come to have your Holter removed. The return appointment is 24 hours later, but the medical assistant will confirm the return time.

The Holter is lightweight and portable, and can be worn around your waist, like a fanny-pack or walkman. There is no preparation, however, we do suggest that you bathe or shower before your appointment because you will not be able to get the monitor wet in any way during the recording.

The patient will not be able to use an electric blanket while wearing the Holter monitor.