Holter monitoring in the diagnosis and management of cardiac rhythm disturbances.

Dynamic, long-term electrocardiography by the Holter technique has gained a definite and important role in cardiac diagnosis. Indications for its application include the diagnosis of ischemic heart disease, the assessment of antiarrhythmic therapy, the evaluation of function of artificial pacemakers, the investigation of physiologic correlates of known arrhythmias, the evaluation of the efficacy of antianginal therapy, and the assessment of the natural history of cardiac arrhythmias in various conditions. In our hands, the technique has proved most fruitful in the uncovering of arrhythmic correlates of transient neurologic disturbances or syncope, and in the precise characterization of patients suspected of having the sick sinus syndrome.