Detection of Phantom Arrhythmias and Evanescent Electrocardiographic Abnormalities

Abstract

Phantom arrhythmias and evanescent cardiac abnormalities may cause distressing symptoms, but unless the electrocardiogram is recorded during the event, the diagnosis will escape the clinician. The recent introduction of the Holter monitor for electrocardiographic monitoring for periods up to ten hours in the patient's native environment allows the clinician to detect these pathological states. Instances of neurological symptoms due to cerebrovascular insufficiency and chest pain due to coronary insufficiency detected by this monitoring system suggests that many episodes of hemodynamic crises escape detection by the clinician.