Advances in modern electrocardiographic equipment for long-term ambulatory monitoring

Electrocardiographic ambulatory Holter monitoring (AECG) is an essential tool inthe diagnostic evaluation of patients with cardiac arrhythmias. Recent advances in digital Holter technologyhave improved the quality of the ECG signals and new dedicated algorithms have expanded the clinical applicationof software-based AECG analysis systems. Due to the availability of inexpensive large storage capacities, verylong-term (weeks to months) continuous high-quality AECG monitoring will soon be available, togetherwith devices for long-term long-distance telemetric surveillance for high-risk cardiac patients, utilizingtrans-telephonic transmission of ECG data.New digital recorders will also have the capability for multichannel simultaneous recordings (currentlyfrom 3 to 8 simultaneous leads). Multichannel digital recordings will allow the recording of differentbiological signals by appropriate sensors, such as respiratory frequency, peripheral oxygen tension, arterialpulse pressure, EEG, and others. This will transform conventional AECG in ambulatory policardiography, allowingthe comprehensive evaluation of patients with complex disorders, such as heart failure or sleep apneasyndromes.By this global approach, Holter analysis becomes a real noninvasive electrophysiologicaltest, to identify potential risk factors for life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias.