Key result
Longterm ambulatory ECG recording provided diagnostic value in 24% of patients with syncope, 66% with dizziness, and 65% with palpitations, with little additional yield beyond 48 hours.
Why the study?
Does longterm ambulatory ECG recording provide diagnostic value in patients with syncope, dizziness, or palpitations?
Observational (n=184)
Does longterm ambulatory ECG recording provide diagnostic value in patients with syncope, dizziness, or palpitations?
Longterm ambulatory ECG recording provides significant diagnostic value, particularly for patients with dizziness or palpitations, with most diagnostic yield occurring within the first 48 hours.
May support symptom-specific short-term monitoring; leaves open optimal duration and outcome impact in syncope.
The diagnostic value of longterm ambulatory ECG recording (LTER) was determined in 63 patients referred for investigation of syncope, in 32 with dizziness and in 89 with palpitations. Among patients referred for syncope, dizziness or palpitations 8, 13 and 54%, respectively, had typical symptoms during the recording with concomitant arrhythmia explaining the symptom, and 6, 50 and 11% had a typical symptom without concomitant arrhythmia. In 12 and 3% of the patients referred for syncope or dizziness, respectively, arrhythmia was observed and probably explained their previous complaint, but no symptoms occurred during LTER. LTER was found to be of diagnostic value in 24% of the patients with syncope, in 66% of those with dizziness and in 65% of those with palpitations. In the latter two groups the presence of symptoms the week before the start of these recordings predicted the occurrence of symptoms during LTER. Only occasionally was there a higher yield of typical symptoms beyond 48 h of recording.
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Ringqvist et al. (1989) conducted an observational in Syncope, dizziness, or palpitations (n=184). Longterm ambulatory ECG recording (LTER) was evaluated on Diagnostic value (typical symptoms with/without concomitant arrhythmia, or arrhythmia explaining complaint). Longterm ambulatory ECG recording provided diagnostic value in 24% of patients with syncope, 66% with dizziness, and 65% with palpitations, with little additional yield beyond 48 hours.
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