Holter Monitoring

What is a Holter Monitor Test?

When your child's symptoms — such as dizziness, fainting, low blood pressure, prolonged fatigue, or heart palpitations — continue to occur without a clear diagnosis after a resting EKG (electrocardiogram), the doctor may want to run an EKG tracing over a longer time.

Certain arrhythmias (a fast, slow, or irregular heartbeat) that can cause these symptoms may only occur sporadically. This makes it hard to obtain data on these types of arrhythmias during an EKG tracing that only runs for a short period of time.

Holter monitoring — a prolonged type of EKG tracing — gives doctors a better chance to capture any abnormal heartbeats or rhythms that may be causing your child's symptoms, especially if they occur often.

The Holter monitor test records your child's EKG tracing, non-stop, for 24 hours or longer. 

Holter monitors are also used to monitor asymptomatic patients with certain cardiac conditions. 

The care team at the Heart Institute at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh will give you instructions on:

• How long your child will wear the recorder.
• How to keep a diary of your child's activities and symptoms during the test.
• Personal care and other tips. 

Why Might My Child Need Holter Monitoring?

Some reasons your child's doctor might request a Holter monitor test are to:

• Check symptoms that may be heart-related — such as palpitations or fainting.
• For screening purposes for patients with certain conditions.
• Further assess arrhythmias noted on a resting EKG.

Depending on the results of the Holter monitor test, your child's doctor may schedule other tests or procedures to help confirm a diagnosis.

Learn More About Holter Monitoring

To learn more about Holter monitoring tests at Children's:

• View the Holter monitoring patient procedure sheet.
• Contact the Heart Institute at UPMC Children's Hospital at 412-692-5540.