[ctcsmith]

My electrophysiologist sent me a letter of what they have found so far on my holter monitor:

We did review the monitor strips that you have sent so far, and palpitations were notied with single PACs. Please remember premature artial contractions are not dangerous, even if they occue in a flurry and evern if the go on for hours.

I just sent another reading because I felt like 3 strange beats in a row... don't know what it could be.. I called the electrophysiologist and they said they won't see it till tomorrow.. so they will call me them! Any ideas?!

[Katie]

They may or may not call. I know it's frustrating but these are the same doctors dealing with actual heart disease so we are really low on the totem pole. I hope to stay low though!

[jkfrench]

The 3 strange beats was most like the PACs occuring in a "flurry" (or a short burst of SVT or like we talked about). Great news so far! I wish I only had PACs!

[ctcsmith]

Yah I was wondering what this "flurry" meant! lol

[jkfrench]

You should be feeling great. If anything was even remotely serious, you would be hearing from them via a phone call, not a letter. Your electrophysiologist doesn't sound the least bit worried. Oh, I can feel the relief for you! Isn't it nice!!!

[Jeff]

Katie and Jodie are both right.

Here's how that system of Holter monitor ECG submission goes - the data is transmitted to and read by a computer that has been programmed to highlight every single thing it doesn't recognize as a regular rhythm and then hypothesize as to what it thinks it is based on what the computer sees. That's step one, and it catches everything and anything that isn't perfectly normal.

The next step is the nurse or ECG tech who has been trained in this specifically, to look at these rhythms that the computer has highlighted, to determine if they are in fact dangerous.

If this trained ECG reader sees anything of concern, s/he will contact a cardiologist on call to review the rhythm to see if it is something you would need to come in for, or is in any way an emergency. If the cardiologist thinks there is anything dangerous going on s/he will either tell you to come in, or send an ambulance out to get you.

3 funny beats are never going to be something an electrophysiologist or cardiologist is going to get excited about. I don't mean to be submissive of your plight, I'm just saying - I went through my own ECGs - all of them - from the month I had my event monitor on, and the computer had found and I had noticed 3 consecutive PVCs - that is, three ventricular contractions without a corresponding atrial contraction. 2 more and that's NSVT. And you wanna know what the nurse, the cardiologist's assistant and the cardiologist said about it?

Nothing.

They didn't even bring it up.

Had I not looked through the ECGs myself, I never would have known.

And as far as 3 strange beats goes, that's the worst. And the worst, in terms of cardiological danger, is not even worth mentioning.

Like Katie said - the people with "real" heart problems take priority over folks like us - and it's as it should be, really.

Figure out how to relax and de-stress, and when you get these people who know the heart as well as anyone telling you your heart is fine? You owe it to yourself to trust them.

[ctcsmith]

I'm just hoping this all calms down after the pregnancy... I just worried that it will contiune to get worse and worse and my heart will not revert back to the normal rythm you know? I wish I NEVER did a ton a research like I did.. it's like I know too much now!!
What would 3 PACs in a row be called then?

[Jeff]

3 PACs.

It's not even cool enough to have it's own name. :p

[ctcsmith]

hahaha.. that made me laugh!! lol!!! I needed that.. thanks Jeff!!!

Hope everyone has a FANTASIC Christmas!!!

[dr461]

We did review the monitor strips that you have sent so far, and palpitations were notied with single PACs. Please remember premature artial contractions are not dangerous, even if they occue in a flurry and evern if the go on for hours.

English translation from medical language. It is nothing to worry about. We saw nothing on the holter tape to worry about. Strange beats happen all the time, and it is not clinically significant. They aren't concerned as they didn't see anything to react to medically. Had it been a cause for alarm, they would have reacted immediately--especially nowadays with malpractice situations. So, I'd relax and not think too much about it--been there/ done that.