What it means
Named after Norman Holter, the American biophysicist who invented it. Electrodes on the chest connect to a recorder worn on a belt or strap while the person goes about normal life. It catches rhythm problems that come and go and might be missed on a short electrocardiogramih-lek-troh-KAR-dee-oh-gramA test that records the heart's electrical activity as waves on paper or a screen.electr/o electricitycardi/o heart-gram recordFull entry . Longer event monitors and patch monitors work the same way.
For the nurse
Teach the client to keep the electrodes on, keep the device dry (usually no showering while wearing it), carry on normal activities and write down the time of any symptoms, such as palpitationpal-pih-TAY-shunThe feeling of your own heartbeat as pounding, racing, fluttering or skipping.Full entry or dizziness, and what they were doing.
At a glance
| Also written | Holter, Holter monitoring |
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Related terms
arrhythmia
A heart rhythm that is not normal: too fast, too slow or irregular.
electrocardiogram
A test that records the heart's electrical activity as waves on paper or a screen.
palpitation
The feeling of your own heartbeat as pounding, racing, fluttering or skipping.