ecg monitor - electrical interference

[Fanfab1]

hello

I had my 7 day ecg monitor put on yesterday! Been having fluttering and flip / flop sensations. Not hopeful will show up as can be intermittent. Usually happen at rest.

But I remembered this morning a paramedic previously taking my ecg at home saying to turn off the electric riser recliner chair I was sat in (I have to elevate my lower legs / feet otherwise they swell after about 20 minutes), as it interfered with the ecg machine / reading.

So I rang up the cardiology diagnostic team and they confirmed yes that and my adjustable bed are likely to interfere with the readings and if possible turn the chair and bed off at the socket, so I will as I don’t want anything to go wrong with the monitoring. I just have to note in diary they gave that the chair and bed were on yesterday and overnight.

I didn’t know this in advance and I don’t believe there was anything in the letter and nothing was said at the appointment.

So just thought I’d say in case there is anyone out there like me who didn’t know / wasn’t told. If anyone knows of anything else that could interfere, please let us know.

👍

[Lezzers]

That's interesting. My husband has an ICD which is monitoring &, if necessary, correcting his heart 24/7. We have an adjustable bed & electric reclining sofa and no one has mentioned anything about interference before. He's also had numerous ECG's in last couple of years both at home in bed, by paramedics, & in the cardiology ward at the hospital. I wonder if it's just the monitors that are affected?

My husband has to avoid anything that's had a magnet source as that interferes with his ICD. Is it anything that has a power source that is the issue?

[Fanfab1 in reply to Lezzers]

Hi I’m not sure, maybe with the monitors the chair and bed are in direct contact with me. Worth asking the question, but they really should make clear. Tbh I only thought to ask about the bed and chair because of the paramedic who couldn’t get the ecg to work / get a reading when I was in the chair. 👍

[Lezzers in reply to Fanfab1]

Thats really interesting & he will definitely ask the question. Last year he had quite a few hospital admissions & was linked up to the heart monitors 24/7 whilst he was in there. The heart monitors kept going crazy with alarms & asystole warnin, it was quite obvious he was alive as he was sitting up talking to me! This happened in the re-suss ward & the cardiology ward. The situation got so bad they turned the alarms off & monitored him on the linked computer that was at the nurses station. At one point they had a nurse bring the computer into the room & she sat with him constantly to see if they could figure out what was going on. They asked where his mobile phone was & decided that wasn't the problem as it was nowhere near him or the monitor. In the end they decided it was his ICD that was interfering with the monitors. At the time we thought surely not!! But maybe it was! Thank you for posting this, good luck with your monitor, I'm fairly sure if you're wearing it when you're having these flutters etc that they will show up even if they are intermittent .

[Fanfab1 in reply to Lezzers]

Unless there was a real life gremlin, sounds like there has to be a link! Thank you, starting to think the flutters were all in my head but if there is something then it should pick up like you say, and if not I shall get on with my life! 👍

[Milkfairy Heart Star]

Thank you for posting this information.

Mobile phones can cause interference.

I also can't use my TENS machine when I am in hospital on continuous cardiac monitoring.

[Fanfab1 in reply to Milkfairy]

Thanks I’ll try and keep my distance, some no technology time might be beneficial anyway!

[Blackknight57]

is he on a holster because of the palpitations. The flip,flop flutter as you put it.

I wasn’t told to do anything out of the normal. I also have a riser recliner chair.

The only thing to turn off is the nnassage function if you have an icd or pacemaker.

[Fanfab1 in reply to Blackknight57]

Yes I have the holter monitor sorry it I didn’t make clear, no icd or pacemaker. For what I describe as flutters / flip flop sensation.

I wasn’t told anything the last time I had such a test but I just recalled what happened when paramedic tried to take ecg and the chair was interfering. So I asked the question.

Maybe it’s more precaution to turn these things off, I just don’t want any reason for them to say holter didn’t work. Whether it picks up anything that’s another matter.

👍

[Blackknight57 in reply to Fanfab1]

The last holster I had wasn’t connected properly. Kept on trying to connect to the pads. The connections on those things aren’t great.

Electrical interference is only on the ones the Ambon crews carry.

By what you feel is a lot to do with the actual function of your heart , nothing to do with the ecg monitor.

ECG only measures heart rate over the time it is on, yes if you don’t lay still while it is being taken it screws the reading, holsters however should compensate for it as you are supposed to get on with your usual routine.

ECG don’t regulate your heart.

Best avoid the micro wave and induction hobs as they give off rf, like X-ray

[Fanfab1 in reply to Blackknight57]

thanks for explaining, whilst assuming your not a doctor I’d still be interested in what you think would be the more appropriate test(s).

I’ve had echos, Ct scan, angiograms and MRI pre June 2023 but these flutters / flip flops started post Last Christmas.

👍

[Sixtychick]

That’s interesting. I don’t have any electric chairs or beds, but was never asked if I did, any of the times I’ve had one of those ECG monitors fitted, or told to avoid anything.

[Fanfab1 in reply to Sixtychick]

I wasn’t told anything either on previous tests or this one but I just recalled the paramedic, asked the question and they said yes keep them off 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Sixtychick in reply to Fanfab1]

👍

[Partner20]

When my partner had his holter monitor fitted a few weeks ago for a home test not only was he told not to have his mobile phone in a pocket near the unit but also to unplug his electric blanket every night before getting into bed. The doctor fitting it was most insistent about that, we would never have thought of it, and there was no reference to this on the information sheet, either.

[Fanfab1 in reply to Partner20]

Hi you were lucky having that doctor who pointed that out. They didn’t mention the phone after they told said about the chair / bed - a thank you to Milkfairy .

We wait often ages for these tests and want them to go well as we’re after answers so anything that might possibly interfere is not great. 👍

[Partner20 in reply to Fanfab1]

Exactly! If we are not told about all the rules we have to follow for medical tests, of whatever type, we will never know if the results are accurate or not