Key result
Prolonged ambulatory cardiographic monitoring identified contributing cardiac arrhythmias in 27.1% of geriatric patients with falls, dizziness, or syncope, outperforming standard ECG.
Why the study?
Does prolonged ambulatory cardiographic monitoring with the Holter monitor improve the detection of cardiac arrhythmias compared to standard ECG in geriatric patients with falls, dizziness, and syncope?
Observational (n=59)
Does prolonged ambulatory cardiographic monitoring with the Holter monitor improve the detection of cardiac arrhythmias compared to standard ECG in geriatric patients with falls, dizziness, and syncope?
Absolute Event Rate: 27.1% vs 6.8%
Prolonged ambulatory Holter monitoring is valuable for detecting underlying cardiac arrhythmias in elderly patients presenting with falls, dizziness, or syncope, especially when standard ECG is unrevealing.
May aid arrhythmia detection in geriatric falls/syncope when ECG negative; leaves open impact on outcomes.
Fifty-nine patients living in a geriatric residential setting underwent prolonged ambulatory cardiographic monitoring with the Holter monitor (AHM) as part of an investigation of falls, dizziness, and syncope. In 16 instances, cardiac arrhythmias were a contributing factor; in 12, the diagnostic AHM recordings were associated with unrevealing standard electrocardiographic (ECG) tracings. In 12 patients who had fallen, cardiac arrhythmias played a contributing role, but in only two of these cases was the ECG diagnostic. The value of the AHM for use in managing elderly patients, whose cardiac complaints may be vague, and especially in managing those who have sustained falls, is emphasized.
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Gordon et al. (1982) conducted an observational in Falls, dizziness, and syncope (n=59). Prolonged ambulatory cardiographic monitoring (Holter monitor) vs. Standard electrocardiographic (ECG) tracings was evaluated on Detection of cardiac arrhythmias contributing to symptoms. Prolonged ambulatory cardiographic monitoring identified contributing cardiac arrhythmias in 27.1% of geriatric patients with falls, dizziness, or syncope, outperforming standard ECG.
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