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Diagnostic yield is dependent on monitoring duration. Insights from a full-disclosure mobile cardiac telemetry system

Dziubiński, Marek J. ; Napiórkowski, Natan E. ; Witkowska, Olga ; Świecak, Michał A. ; Grotek, Agnieszka M. and Johnson, Linda S.B. LU (2022) In Kardiologia Polska 80(1). p.56-63
Abstract

Background: Despite the advancement of electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring methods, the most important factor influencing diagnostic yield (DY) may still be monitoring duration. Ambulatory ECG monitoring, typically with 24–48 hours duration, is widely used but may result in underdiagnosis of rare arrhythmias. Aims: This study aimed to examine the relationship between the DY and monitoring duration in a large patient cohort and investigate sex and age differences in the presentation of arrhythmias. Methods: The study population consisted of 25 151 patients (57.8% women; median [interquartile range, IQR], 71 [64–78] years), who were examined with mobile cardiac telemetry during 2017 in the United States, using the PocketECGTM... (More)

Background: Despite the advancement of electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring methods, the most important factor influencing diagnostic yield (DY) may still be monitoring duration. Ambulatory ECG monitoring, typically with 24–48 hours duration, is widely used but may result in underdiagnosis of rare arrhythmias. Aims: This study aimed to examine the relationship between the DY and monitoring duration in a large patient cohort and investigate sex and age differences in the presentation of arrhythmias. Methods: The study population consisted of 25 151 patients (57.8% women; median [interquartile range, IQR], 71 [64–78] years), who were examined with mobile cardiac telemetry during 2017 in the United States, using the PocketECGTM that continuously transmits a signal on a beat-to-beat basis. We investigated the occurrence of atrial fibrillation at a burden of both ≤1% (atrial fibrillation [AF], ≤1%) and ≤10% (AF ≤10%), premature ventricular contractions (PVC; >10 000 per 24 hours), non-sustained ventricular tachycardias (nsVT), sustained ventricular tachycardias (VT ≥30 seconds), atrioventricular blocks (AVB), pauses of >3 seconds duration, and bradycardia (heart rate <40 beats per minute for ≥60 seconds). Results: The median (IQR) recording duration was 15.4, 8.2–28.2) days. The DY increased gradually with monitoring duration for all types of investigated arrhythmias. Compared to DY after up to 30 days of monitoring, a standard 24 hours monitoring resulted in DY for males/females of 20%/18% for AF ≤1%, 29%/28% for AF ≤10%, 45%/40% for PVCs, 17%/11% for nsVT, 17%/11% for VT ≥30 seconds, 49%/42 for AVB, 27%/20% for pauses, 36%/29% for bradycardia. Conclusion: A substantial number of patients suffering from arrhythmias may remain undiagnosed due to insufficient ECG monitoring time.

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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Arrhythmias, Diagnostic yield, ECG monitoring, Mobile cardiac telemetry monitoring
in
Kardiologia Polska
volume
80
issue
1
pages
8 pages
publisher
Polskie Towarzystwo Kardiologiczne
external identifiers
  • pmid:34913475
  • scopus:85124437903
ISSN
0022-9032
DOI
10.33963/KP.a2021.0182
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
fdbcc116-2c8a-44dc-a511-0d6555fdc49c
date added to LUP
2023-01-03 14:59:03
date last changed
2024-04-18 11:03:32
@article{fdbcc116-2c8a-44dc-a511-0d6555fdc49c,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background: Despite the advancement of electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring methods, the most important factor influencing diagnostic yield (DY) may still be monitoring duration. Ambulatory ECG monitoring, typically with 24–48 hours duration, is widely used but may result in underdiagnosis of rare arrhythmias. Aims: This study aimed to examine the relationship between the DY and monitoring duration in a large patient cohort and investigate sex and age differences in the presentation of arrhythmias. Methods: The study population consisted of 25 151 patients (57.8% women; median [interquartile range, IQR], 71 [64–78] years), who were examined with mobile cardiac telemetry during 2017 in the United States, using the PocketECG<sup>TM</sup> that continuously transmits a signal on a beat-to-beat basis. We investigated the occurrence of atrial fibrillation at a burden of both ≤1% (atrial fibrillation [AF], ≤1%) and ≤10% (AF ≤10%), premature ventricular contractions (PVC; &gt;10 000 per 24 hours), non-sustained ventricular tachycardias (nsVT), sustained ventricular tachycardias (VT ≥30 seconds), atrioventricular blocks (AVB), pauses of &gt;3 seconds duration, and bradycardia (heart rate &lt;40 beats per minute for ≥60 seconds). Results: The median (IQR) recording duration was 15.4, 8.2–28.2) days. The DY increased gradually with monitoring duration for all types of investigated arrhythmias. Compared to DY after up to 30 days of monitoring, a standard 24 hours monitoring resulted in DY for males/females of 20%/18% for AF ≤1%, 29%/28% for AF ≤10%, 45%/40% for PVCs, 17%/11% for nsVT, 17%/11% for VT ≥30 seconds, 49%/42 for AVB, 27%/20% for pauses, 36%/29% for bradycardia. Conclusion: A substantial number of patients suffering from arrhythmias may remain undiagnosed due to insufficient ECG monitoring time.</p>}},
  author       = {{Dziubiński, Marek J. and Napiórkowski, Natan E. and Witkowska, Olga and Świecak, Michał A. and Grotek, Agnieszka M. and Johnson, Linda S.B.}},
  issn         = {{0022-9032}},
  keywords     = {{Arrhythmias; Diagnostic yield; ECG monitoring; Mobile cardiac telemetry monitoring}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{56--63}},
  publisher    = {{Polskie Towarzystwo Kardiologiczne}},
  series       = {{Kardiologia Polska}},
  title        = {{Diagnostic yield is dependent on monitoring duration. Insights from a full-disclosure mobile cardiac telemetry system}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.33963/KP.a2021.0182}},
  doi          = {{10.33963/KP.a2021.0182}},
  volume       = {{80}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}