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If you’re at risk of having a heart attack or life-threatening abnormal heartbeat, you want the peace of mind that comes with telemetry monitoring. At Lorven Heart and Vascular Institute, LLC, the cardiology team recommends mobile cardiac telemetry to ensure your heart activity is continuously transmitted to a team that monitors for signs of problems and can alert you and your provider to a possible emergency. Call the office in Ocala, Florida, or use online booking to request an appointment and learn if you’re a good candidate for telemetry monitoring.
Telemetry Monitoring Q & A
What is telemetry monitoring?
Telemetry generally refers to recording and transmitting information. Telemetry monitoring for a heart patient uses a portable device that continuously monitors three essential markers of your health:
- Your heart’s electrical activity
- Oxygen levels in your blood
- Respiratory rate (number of breaths each minute)
The telemetry device wirelessly sends the information to a central monitor, which a highly trained medical professional watches.
Telemetry monitoring is commonly used in the hospital. However, the Lorven Heart and Vascular Institute, LLC, providers also use mobile telemetry monitoring for their patients.
The medical team members who are monitoring your information immediately see signs of heart problems. The system also sounds an alarm to signal a serious problem like a heart attack, atrial fibrillation, or other changes in your heartbeat.
They quickly determine if you need emergency care or should schedule an office appointment to evaluate your heart and review your treatment.
When would I need telemetry monitoring?
Mobile cardiac telemetry monitoring is frequently used for people who have heart arrhythmias (fast, slow, or irregular heartbeats). However, your provider may recommend telemetry monitoring for many reasons.
Your provider may ask you to wear a monitor if you have symptoms like chest pain, dizziness, or fainting. They may use telemetry if you have a heart condition that puts you at risk of having a heart attack or sudden cardiac arrest.
Your provider may want to monitor your health while you’re recovering from a heart attack or stroke.
You may benefit from cardiac telemetry if you just had a heart procedure or take medications that could affect your heart. In some cases, patients need mobile monitoring if they have other conditions, such as a severe illness, blood clot, or lung condition.
What should I expect during telemetry monitoring?
Most of today’s mobile cardiac telemetry devices have two parts: A patch you wear on your upper chest and a specialized phone that serves as the monitor.
The patch contains sensors that send heart information to the phone. From there, the information goes to the team as they monitor your information. You also use the phone to record symptoms that appear.
You can engage in most of your usual activities, including exercising and athletics. However, the sensor is water-resistant, not waterproof. That means you can’t submerge it in water, so you need to avoid swimming and bathing.
Call Lorven Heart and Vascular Institute, LLC, today or book online to learn more about telemetry monitoring.