Cardiac Event Monitor

An event monitor is a small portable ECG recording device, somewhat similar to a holter monitor. However, unlike a holter monitor, which continuously records the heart beat for 24 to 48 hours, an event monitor only retains the recorded ECG data for a brief period of time, continuously recording new data and deleting old data (i.e. overwriting the already recorded data).
When a symptom is experienced by the wearer, a button is pressed on the device and the erasing of data ceases. Pressing the button retains ECG data for a few minutes before and after the moment the button is pressed. The data can then easily be transmitted by phone to a central recording facility and the ECG recording of what was happening to the heart at the time is produced.
This device uses much less battery power and therefore can be kept by the patient for up to 30 days. It is much simpler to apply to the skin, using less electrodes, and therefore the patient can remove it and put it back on at their own convenience.
The test is usually used to determine the cause of dizzy spells or blackouts, or to identify the cause of palpitations if a holter monitor has not provided a diagnosis.