Results from 7 day heart monitor

Six months after a short touch-up ablation and Watchman implant, I was on a 7 day heart monitor. That is the protocol for the EP I see. I waited several weeks for the monitor results and finally reached out to them. I was given a very short general response, telling my average heart rate during that time and stating there was no significant arrhythmia burden noted. I then asked if the response meant there was some arrhythmia burden noted and if so, what does that mean. The response back was “None”.

My question to this knowledgeable group is, should I be asking for more detailed results from this monitor or is this brief response acceptable. I had expected much more!

Ask them for a copy of the report, just like when you could do with any other diagnostic test, like an Ultrasound. You may have to go in person. On mine, every HeartBeat was recorded, in miniature print.

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The Anti-Fib
Ask them for a copy of the report, just like when you could do with any other diagnostic test, like an Ultrasound. You may have to go in person. On mine, every HeartBeat was recorded, in miniature print.

Thanks for the response. I appreciate it. I am wondering, though, how I would decipher the report myself. I would prefer that they do that and then tell me in detail what it means.

My pacemaker report is uploaded to the TCAI My Chart once a month and though some of it is over my head, most of it is easy to understand. For instance it will give the date and duration of any “Event” — like a couple of weeks after my ablation there might have been an entry that said 23 seconds of Afib. If there are no Events, it is NSR all the way. You could ask for your report to be uploaded to your EP’s patient portal.

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Daisy
My pacemaker report is uploaded to the TCAI My Chart once a month and though some of it is over my head, most of it is easy to understand. For instance it will give the date and duration of any “Event” — like a couple of weeks after my ablation there might have been an entry that said 23 seconds of Afib. If there are no Events, it is NSR all the way. You could ask for your report to be uploaded to your EP’s patient portal.

Thank you, Daisy. It might be easier to understand that way rather than to just get the report.

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Pixie

Ask them for a copy of the report, just like when you could do with any other diagnostic test, like an Ultrasound. You may have to go in person. On mine, every HeartBeat was recorded, in miniature print.

Thanks for the response. I appreciate it. I am wondering, though, how I would decipher the report myself. I would prefer that they do that and then tell me in detail what it means.

If it was me, I would get the report, then go from there. If there is something you don't understand, you could ask the Dr. at your next office visit, or even post a question about it here.

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The Anti-Fib

If it was me, I would get the report, then go from there. If there is something you don't understand, you could ask the Dr. at your next office visit, or even post a question about it here.

How would you interpret the response “none” listed on my original post?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/14/2023 09:45PM by Pixie.

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Pixie
How would you interpret the response “none” listed on my original post?

I would interpret it very literally. There were no arrhythmias detected, which is exactly what you want to hear. Don't overcomplicate these things.
They're not being coy or playing word games with you. The person who interpreted the data doesn't even know you, and the person who told you has no reason to sugar coat, lie, or distort, and lots of reasons not to do any of that. Take good results at face value.

Legally, you are entitled to a full, comprehensive, and detailed report of any diagnostic. You own the data. Legally, they are liable if they provide you with misleading, incomplete, or false information. If you approached them to ask for a summary or a detailed report of a recent test, they must provide you with veridical information, something that can be tested in court.

To me, the short response was about the best you could hope for, except for maybe the addition that you can also stop all meds because you seem to be in complete remission, or are deemed to be of such a low risk for stroke that you can stop all meds. But, just hearing 'Nothing,' would tell me that it's very good news and that they saw nothing that you should assume is potentially problematic.

Thanks, Carey and gloaming. I did take the response NONE as good news! When thinking about it, though, I wondered if I should have received more detailed information. I am not sure why, except that I was overthinking again, Soooo, my first instinct was correct and that was great news.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/15/2023 10:01AM by Pixie.

The only time I'd maybe take umbrage with that single word is if they had done a scan of my brain and reported seeing.....

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gloaming
The only time I'd maybe take umbrage with that single word is if they had done a scan of my brain and reported seeing.....

Great one, gloaming!