Wir haben Dr. med. Thomas Kofler, Facharzt für Kardiologie und Innere Medizin im kardiologische Gesundheitszentrum Adlergarten in Schattdorf nach seiner persönlichen Einschätzung betreffend Langzeit-EKG Messungen befragt.
Dr. Thomas Kofler, how long to your patients wear the long-term ECG?
It's obviously not that simple, because it depends on the patient's complaints. The history always forms part of targeted rhythm monitoring using the ECG holter. In the case of daily disturbances, a 24-hour measurement is generally sufficient. In the case of less frequent disturbances, the investigation should be carried out over a longer period of 3 to 7 days. In stroke patients, atrial fibrillation should be investigated at least 1 to 2 times over a period of 7 days.
In which specific cases do you prescribe longer or shorter ECG measurements?
For patients with symptoms that occur daily or several times a week (palpitations/heart palpitations etc.), a Holter examination lasting 1-3 days is usually effectiveIn stroke patients, we are probably not persistent enough in looking for atrial fibrillation. Prolonged rhythm monitoring over 7 to 14 days should be performed more frequently.
With stroke patients we are probably not persistent enough in the search for atrial fibrillation. Prolonged rhythm monitoring over 7-14 days should be carried out more frequently.
What do you personally recommend to GP practices for effective diagnosis of cardiac rhythm disorders?
With CardioFlex, it makes sense to take longer measurements, because the measurements are monitored daily to detect the appearance of relevant rhythm disorders. If, for example, the atrial fibrillation we're looking for appears prematurely, the right treatment can be established earlier and the long-term ECG test can be discontinued sooner. This is not only clinically relevant, but also saves healthcare costs.