Current News > May 19th, 2007: Doctors at KDH have new device to monitor heart
Kemptville District Hospital
2675 Concession Road, Kemptville, ON K0G 1J0
Tel: (613) 258-6133; Fax: (613) 258-7853
May 19, 2007
Doctors at KDH have new device to monitor heart
Kemptville, ON, May 29, 2007 - It’s slightly larger than an
iPod and for many a life changing device designed to record the
heart’s electrical activity as a patient goes about their daily
routine. The device is called a Holter monitor and the
Kemptville District Hospital recently acquired two new monitors
as part of its ongoing commitment to providing quality care
close to home. The device can be worn during the patient's
regular daily activities and helps the physician correlate
symptoms of dizziness, palpitations or black outs. Since the
recording covers 24 hours, on a continuous basis, the monitor is
much more likely to detect an abnormal heart rhythm when
compared to the Electrocardiogram which lasts less than a
minute.
The test is painless and consists of having two electrodes stuck
to the patient’s chest and attached to the small recording
monitor. The patient then carries the battery operated monitor
in a pocket or in a small pouch worn around the neck or waist.
“The patients love how easy the monitor is to use,” said
Marianne Arthurs from the Diagnostic Imaging Department. She
went on to say “The new system is much better because it’s
easier to hook-up and the connections can be verified more
easily. There’s no need for the patient to return to the
hospital as they would have had to do with the old system.”
Doctors recommend that the patient keep a diary of what activities are done while wearing the monitor so a more complete picture of the illness can be accessed. After 24 hours, the patient returns the monitor to the hospital where the doctor reviews the records to see if there have been any irregular heart rhythms.
Holter Monitors isn’t the only good news for the Diagnostic Imaging Department. The Hospital can now schedule check-ups for pace makers which is good news for a number of patients in the area. In the past patients would have had to travel to Ottawa for the same service..
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For more information, please contact:
Colin Goodfellow, Chief Executive Officer
Tel: 613-258-6133 x132
cgoodfellow@kdh.on.ca