Ambulatory (Holter) Monitoring Flashcards
6 cards from real CCT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Ambulatory (Holter) Monitoring flashcards as text
A Holter diary entry states the patient experienced 'dizziness and near-syncope' at 10:42 AM. The corresponding rhythm strip shows a 4-second sinus pause. What is the most likely clinical correlation?
Answer: The sinus pause caused reduced cardiac output leading to cerebral hypoperfusion
A 4-second sinus pause would cause a sudden drop in cardiac output sufficient to cause cerebral hypoperfusion, manifesting as dizziness or near-syncope, making a direct causal relationship the most likely explanation.
Which of the following is a contraindication or special precaution for a patient wearing a Holter monitor?
Answer: Bathing or showering, as water can damage the device and electrodes
Patients wearing Holter monitors must avoid bathing, showering, or swimming because most devices are not waterproof, and water exposure can damage the recorder and displace electrodes.
On a Holter recording, you observe episodes where the P wave morphology changes beat to beat and the PP intervals vary. What rhythm does this represent?
Answer: Wandering atrial pacemaker
Wandering atrial pacemaker is characterized by at least 3 different P wave morphologies within the same lead and varying PP intervals, reflecting the pacemaker site shifting between the SA node, other atrial locations, and the AV junction.
A patient's Holter report notes 'total atrial fibrillation burden: 23%.' What does this mean?
Answer: The patient was in atrial fibrillation for approximately 23% of the total recording time
AF burden represents the percentage of total recording time during which the patient was in atrial fibrillation. A 23% burden in a 24-hour recording means approximately 5.5 hours were spent in AFib.
Which type of Holter artifact is most commonly caused by poor electrode-skin contact?
Answer: Baseline wander and motion artifact with low-amplitude or flat-line segments
Poor electrode-skin contact causes high impedance at the electrode site, which results in baseline wander, loss of signal (flat line segments), and motion artifact as even minor movement breaks the electrical connection.
According to ASET standards, how long should a technician retain Holter recording data after the study is completed?
Answer: Per institutional and state regulations, typically as part of the patient's permanent medical record
ASET standards require that Holter data be retained in accordance with institutional and applicable state and federal regulations, typically as part of the permanent patient medical record, which is usually a minimum of 7-10 years for adults.