24hour ECG this week, do I write down what I'm doing when I feel any palpitations or do they just read the ECG when it's finished?

[Lizziefin]

I also have an echocardiogram next week so hopefully a diagnosis will be forthcoming, if these two tests pick up what I feel

[Rellim296]

I once had a 24 blood pressure monitor and had to record my activities through the day but for a 7 day ECG all that was required of me was a note of any perceived abnormalities in heart rhythm.

Consider yourself lucky it is only for 24 hours. A manx octopus of a thing with stickers that became horrendously itchy.

Good luck with these tests

[BobD Volunteer]

The normal thing is to press a button on the machine when you feel any odd rhythms whilst noting on a log. The ECG department will explain it all to you when you go to have it fitted. One word of warning. Be punctual. They will have probably logged it out to somebody else the day you take it back so if you are late taking it back they go ballistic!.

Bob

[rosyG]

I had to do what Bob says and also keep a diary- good to do both as when you go for the results you can tell the doctor what you were experiencing when you presses the button!

[Lizziefin]

Thanks to everyone for their replies. I think I'll keep as full a record as i can so that I can ask them what was happening with the ECG when I felt this or that ( galloping horses or fast dropping lift, etc!)

[jennydog]

I have just had a 7 day monitor on. I was given a diary to record my activities and any symptoms. I had to record bed times. The EP wanted to see what was happening both day and night. He suspects that my heart is fibrillating more than I realise.

[Hidden]

If it's like the ones I've had, I had to record just when I thought something had happened and write down what and the time. But it's important to write down the time on the machine, not your watch, as the one I had last time was 10 minutes different.

Last one I had fitted for a week, they phoned after a day wanting to know why I hadn't taken it back!!! And my last EP appointment was totally governed and put back months because of the lack of availability of monitors. They sure are in short supply

[David21]

I am scheduled for a 24 hour ECG soon. I have had a number of these before and last time I felt I had to induce an arrythmia just so the Cardiologist would accept that I had real problems sometimes (PAF). Can anyone advise whether it is worth doing this if you do not actually experience an arrythmia during that time ? Can it show up anything else ? Many thanks - David

[Rellim296 in reply to David21]

I had no events over 7 days, just nothing, but this would have indicated that there were no little oddities going on that I wasn't aware of so it did have relevance.

All I was asked to record was any odd rhythms. I had also kept careful records of when I had used my treadmill, how fast, how long, the level of incline and so on and wrote my phone number on the form but it didn't seem to be of interest. They didn't play ball. All the feedback I got (when I asked my INR supervisor) was NSR, bradycardia most of the time which seemed very little considering the faff it had been.

[Rellim296 in reply to Rellim296]

An afterthought: there are only 3 leads for an ambulatory ECG, so there wouldn't be very detailed information about the heart's activity.

[porridgequeen]

For my post ablation ECG in January I was told to note when I had symptoms and when I didn't otherwise ' the doctors get bored'! I was also given very strict instructions about collecting and returning the monitor on time. There seems to be a real shortage.

As a rider to this, I was watching the post for weeks after waiting for my EP follow-up appointment and eventually phoned, at over four months post ablation, to ask how long I could expect to wait. Apparently, my appointment was at bang on three months and I had been marked as a 'Did Not Attend'. The EP's secretary said I was the second person that morning to say that they had not received the letter of notification. I have been booked in for May - seven months after my ablation, luckily I am doing very well! I wonder how many precious appointments are wasted by inadequate communication.

[BobD Volunteer in reply to porridgequeen]

Many of the hospital appts I have had automated telephone reminders a week before asking me to press such and such a button if I was going to attend.

Bob

[Dodie117 in reply to porridgequeen]

This has happened to me too. Why can't they use email more. Also when results needed to go to doctor all had to be faxed. Wanted to fax to me. Who has fax at home these days. Emailing seemed to cause th problems.

[Rellim296]

I would very willingly have handed mine in early.

Have noted your EP appointment fiasco porridgequeen. I get texts from my GP surgery to remind me about appointments (also texts from the chemist to notify me when medication is ready for collection) so perhaps hospitals should do the same.

[porridgequeen]

My local hospital sends a reminder letter a couple of weeks before. It is the London hospital that failed to send my appointment (no others have ever been lost in the post but that is a possibility) and this hospital is notorious for adding that failure to attend will be taken to mean that you do not wish to be treated by this hospital any more ie you are expelled.

I think you win the Best Communication prize Rellim, texting is a great idea, as are emails. You are right Marie - who faxes these days? I think the answer to that is just the French!

Best wishes to all.