My 72 hour holter monitor stopped before 72 hours

[HeartDinger]

I was fitted with a 72 hour holter monitor, which I was told to press the green button whenever I had a symptom. However when I first pressed it I realised the machine wasn't switched on. So then I had to set it up myself. And now just over 48 hours later it's saying "recording completed" which makes me think I must have set it up wrong. It said my patient details on it so I just have no clue. I have to return it tomorrow but now I'm worried my test results will be incomplete or wrong.

[bantam12]

Did whoever fitted it not test it before you left the clinic ? Usually they make sure it's set up and working. If it hasn't recorded properly they should do another 72 hours.

[HeartDinger in reply to bantam12]

nope it seems they just stuck it to me got me to sign something and then just sent me out with it on and a piece of paper with "instructions" which was just press green button if event happens and a number to call if there was issues but that line closes at 4pm and it's currently 7pm so sadly i can't contact anyone

[bantam12 in reply to HeartDinger]

That's bad practice, they should make sure it's working before sending you on your way.

[Hidden]

I had a week holter that stopped recording within 2 days. Was beeping at me and I phoned the department, but they told me it was normal. It was not normal, but they wouldn’t give me another on the basis of nothing showing on the two days it had recorded for. I also had a similar issue with a 30 day event recorder (these are the ones where you often have to press the button if you have symptoms, it doesn’t record for the duration). If you think it may have picked up any rhythms that correlated to symptoms for the 2 days it recorded, I wouldn’t worry too much. If you don’t know or don’t think it did, or you didn’t have any symptoms, it would probably be best to mention it, but they may be a bit miffed that you ‘fiddled’, however in the wrong they were for sending you out with it without making sure it was working. If it reassures you any, though, with genuine holter monitors, rather than event recorders, my understanding is they record the whole time you wear them: the pressing the button just helps highlights where you had a symptom so they can quickly find and check the trace recorded at the same time. It’s a lot of data to check through manually, so the markers can be a big help, particularly if it reveals something obvious.

[Cat04]

If it hasn't recorded you will just be called back in to have another one done. If it has recorded something they may well have what is needed. They will let you know, don't worry. I have had them fall apart, fall off, not switched on, etc etc over the years but they either salvage what they have on it or repeat it.

[ETHEL103]

Yes same thing happened to me and at the time I was suffering with lots of ectopics. Took it back and a week later was given another one. Apperently the battery was flat. You guessed it. Next time I wore one my heart behaved itself. Typical. Lol.

[HM24]

Does not sound like you have done anything wrong! Sounds like it was not set up correctly in first place. That is so annoying for you, but they will sort you out.