Telemetry Monitoring

Telemetry Monitoring services offered in Venice, Sarasota, Bradenton and Ellenton, FL

Cardiac telemetry provides detailed information about your heart’s function when you have serious arrhythmia or other cardiac disorders. At The Heart Institute of Venice in Venice, Florida, Barry Weckesser, MD, and Amy Kinter, NP, use telemetry monitoring to improve treatment effectiveness and patient outcomes. Call The Heart Institute of Venice to learn how telemetry could help you manage your heart problem better, or book an appointment online today.

Telemetry Monitoring Q & A

What is telemetry monitoring?

Telemetry monitoring measures the heart’s electrical activity, tracking it continuously to check for heart function abnormalities using electrocardiography (EKG) technology.

Telemetry monitoring devices are portable systems. Your provider attaches the unit to your body with electrodes — wires that send information from your heart to a central monitor. With telemetry devices, you can move freely rather than stay still with a standard bedside EKG system.

Why might I need telemetry monitoring?

Your cardiologist might recommend telemetry monitoring if you have an arrhythmia. An arrhythmia causes bradycardia (abnormally slow heartbeat), tachycardia (abnormally fast heartbeat), and/or irregular heartbeats. Some arrhythmias aren’t much cause for concern, but others are potentially fatal, causing strokes or sudden heart failure unless you receive urgent treatment.

You might need telemetry monitoring in other situations, such as the following:

Heart attack or stroke recovery
After heart procedures or surgery
Suspected blood clots
Lung diseases like pneumonia
When taking medications that affect heart rhythm

You could also benefit from telemetry monitoring if you’re at risk of arrhythmia and other heart problems. Telemetry monitoring enables your cardiologist to act quickly, changing your treatment in response to the readings they receive.

What will telemetry monitoring involve?

Telemetry monitoring requires visiting The Heart Institute of Venice’s cardiac telemetry unit. Your provider shaves and cleans your skin in five areas on your stomach and chest. They attach the electrodes to the prepared areas with sticky pads.

The electrodes transmit electrical signals from your heart to the telemetry recording device, which converts the data so your cardiologist can view it on a screen. You wear the recording device in a holder for the entire day. The cardiac team observes the telemetry readings on their monitor for 24 hours or more to assess your heart function.

The telemetry system sets off an alarm if your heartbeat changes significantly so your provider can identify sudden, potentially dangerous issues and treat them quickly. The alarm function is particularly valuable if patients are unconscious or too weak or sick to call for help.

The device also detects pain. If you’re in severe discomfort, your heart rate increases quickly and/or significantly. The telemetry device sends an alarm to The Heart Institute of Venice team so they can assist you.

For more information about The Heart Institute of Venice’s telemetry monitoring service, call the office or book an appointment online today.