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Family Practice Advance Access published online on December 7, 2006
Family Practice, doi:10.1093/fampra/cml065
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© The Author 2006. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org.

Optimal duration of event recording for diagnosis of arrhythmias in patients with palpitations and light-headedness in the general practice

Emmy Hoefmana, Henk CPM van Weerta, Kimberly R Boerb, Johannes Reitsmab, Rudolph W Kosterc and Patrick JE Bindelsa

a Department of General Practice
b Department of clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics
c Department of Cardiology, Academic Medical Center—University of Amsterdam, PO BOX 22700, 1100 DE Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Correspondence to Emmy Hoefman, Department of General Practice, Academic Medical Center—University of Amsterdam, PO Box 22700, 1100 DE Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Email: e.hoefman{at}amc.nl.


  Abstract

Background. Patient-activated continuous-loop event recorders (CER) are useful as a diagnostic tool in new episodes of palpitations and/or dizziness. So far, no analysis of optimal duration for monitoring in unselected patients has been published.

Methods. During a period of 30 days, we prospectively evaluated the time until diagnosis using CER in patients with symptoms of palpitations and/or dizziness in general practice.

Results. In total, 127 patients received an event recorder for a maximum duration of 30 days. Events were recorded by 104 patients (82%), of whom 83 (78%) showed an arrhythmia. After 2 weeks, 75% of all diagnoses and 83.3% of all clinically relevant diagnoses could be established.

Conclusion. The yield of event recording in general practice diminishes with recording time. A minimum recording time of 2 weeks seems necessary.

Keywords. Atrial fibrillation, cardiology, diagnostic tests, duration, telemedicine.


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