Objectives:

To present the clinical experience with a new extended (for 15 days), wireless, and satellite cardiac monitoring system in a group of patients with suspicion of cardiac arrhythmia.

Method:

The study included a cohort of 100 patients seen in the Cardiovascular Electrophysiology Unit of a reference hospital. They were suspected of having a cardiac arrhythmia, with no electrocardiographic diagnosis of the cause, despite previous examinations. They were subjected to SEEQ-type (Medtronic) external cardiac monitoring for 15 days, with the outcomes recorded.

Results:

Of the total of 100 subjects studied, 51% were male, and the median age was 60 years (range: 5 - 91 years). The main symptoms were palpitation, and the most prevalent comorbidity was arterial hypertension (47%). Almost all (98%) of them had a previous Holter study, and 46% had two studies, which were inconclusive in explaining the symptoms. The SEEQ monitoring recorded a significant electrocardiographic abnormality in 22% of the patients. A pacemaker implant was the treatment most applied and atrial fibrillation was the most frequent arrhythmia in 50% of the positive findings. There was a higher and significant percentage of positive diagnoses in males.

Conclusions:

External, satellite, wireless cardiac monitoring extended for 15 days, is a novel tool that can increase the probability of documenting a clinically significant electrocardiographic abnormality in those patients who suffer recurrent cardiovascular symptoms.

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