Diagnostic utility of long-term remote ECG monitoring in compare with 24 hour Holter monitoring in patients with atrial fibrillation after catheter radiofrequency ablation in the early postoperative period

Abstract

Aim. To evaluate the diagnostic utility of long-term remote monitoring of ECG compared with 24 hour Holter monitoring for the detection of cardiac arrhythmias and conduction disturbance in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) after catheter radiofrequency ablation (RFA; isolation) of the pulmonary veins. Materials and methods. The study included 62 patients aged 58.5±11.1 years, with paroxysmal or persistent AF, after catheter RFA (pulmonary veins isolation). Patients underwent long-term remote ECG monitoring, 24 hour Holter monitoring and transthoracic echocardiogram. Results and discussion. After 24 hour Holter monitoring of 62 patients with AF after RFA in 21 of them (33.9%) was detected early recurrence of AF. Remote ECG monitoring of 18 patients, detected AF in 7 patients (39%), 2 of them were asymptomatic AF recurrence. 24 hour Holter monitoring of the same 18 patients AF recurrence was not detected at all (0%). Conclusion. Both of devices, long-term remote monitoring of ECG and 24 hour Holter monitoring detected 45.2% of recurrence of AF. Over the wearing of both devises 24 hour Holter and long-term remote monitor the last detected more events among 18 patients (33% vs 0%). Two evens of AF recurrence were asymptomatic.

Keywords

• long-term remote monitoring
• atrial fibrillation
• catheter radiofrequency ablation
• holter ecg monitoring
• transthoracic echocardiography