Loop Recorder Testing

A loop recorder painlessly records the electrical activity of your heart. It records how fast your heart is beating, the strength of each beat, and the pattern, or rhythm, of beats. For instance, the loop recorder can detect when your heart is beating very fast, weak, or unevenly.

At Dignity Health of Arizona, you can trust your heart to our experts. If you want to learn more about loop recorder tests in Arizona, Find a Doctor online or call (855) 231-6180.

 

Why Loop Recorders are Used

Doctors use a loop recorder to diagnose and monitor abnormal heartbeats (c)ardiac arrhythmias and other heart problems. It records in blocks of time, such as five minutes. The device continually erases and re-records your heart’s activity in these loops of time. If you experience a symptom, you activate the device. Doing so prevents it from erasing the recording. As a result, you can capture your heart’s activity before, during, and after a symptom or event.

The loop monitor can detect problems a standard EKG can miss. A standard EKG shows your heart’s activity at one point in time. But heart problems and symptoms can come and go. A loop monitor is more likely to catch problems that occur very briefly or infrequently. It can help determine if symptoms, such as chest pain, dizziness, or shortness of breath, are linked to a heart problem.

 

Loop Recorder Testing at Dignity Health: What to Expect

One of our nurses or technicians will set your recorder up and show you how to use it. He or she will attach painless, sticky electrode patches to your chest. The electrodes attach to a monitor, which is about the size of a small cell phone. You clip the monitor to a belt or carry it in your pocket. The monitor sends your recordings to your doctor’s office.

You will go about your normal day while you’re wearing the loop recorder. You can get the electrodes wet, so there’s no need to avoid showering or bathing. If you need to change the electrodes, your nurse or technician will tell you how to do it. They will also explain how to send the recordings over the phone.

You may need to wear a loop recorder for several days, even up to a month. There are no known risks or complications of a loop monitor.

 

What Your Loop Recorder Results Mean

The results can help your doctor determine if: 

  • Your medicines, pacemaker, or implanted defibrillator are working as they should
  • Your heart is getting enough oxygen
  • Your have an abnormal heartbeat
  • You need more tests or treatments

Concerned about your cardiovascular health? Try our free cardiovascular risk educational tool. This tool helps you assess your cardiovascular health and educate you on the many ways Dignity Health can assist you in treatment and prevention with humankindness.

Serving heart patients with diagnostic options to fit their needs, Dignity Health offers loop record testing in Arizona.