title: Prospective comparison of the diagnostic utility of a standard event monitor versus a "leadless" portable ECG monitor in the evaluation of patients with palpitations.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Current ambulatory ECG monitoring systems are limited in their ability to diagnose patients with palpitations. The aim of this prospective study was to compare a new "leadless" ambulatory monitor with a standard event monitor in the evaluation of patients with palpitations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighteen consecutive patients (11 female, 56 +/- 16 years) referred for evaluation of palpitations were provided with both a standard event monitor and a "leadless" monitor for 30 days. They were asked to record episodes of palpitations with both monitoring devices.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All 18 individuals were compliant with the "leadless" monitor for the 30-day period while only 14 (78%) patients were compliant with the standard event monitor (p = 0.10). During a combined monitoring period of 563 days, 159 symptomatic episodes were recorded with the "leadless" ECG monitor (8.8 +/- 9.7 per patient, range 1-35) and 169 symptomatic episodes were recorded with the event monitor (12 +/- 8.3 per patient, range 1-33) (p = NS). The "leadless" ECG monitor recorded arrhythmias in 13 of 18 patients (72%) and the standard event monitor recorded arrhythmias in 8 of 14 patients (57%) (p = NS).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The "leadless" ECG monitor is associated with high patient compliance and results in high quality ECG recordings. The diagnostic yield of this monitoring system is equivalent to a standard event monitor.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, Carnegie 568, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Scherr
authors.forename: Darshan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dalal
authors.forename: Charles A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Henrikson
authors.forename: David D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Spragg
authors.forename: Ronald D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Berger
authors.forename: Hugh
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Calkins
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015716:Electrocardiography, Ambulatory / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D017060:Patient Satisfaction