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203342 tn?1328737207

Does anyone know how to read a holter test result?

Hi. I just got back my test result from wearing a 24 hour holter. I asked the doctor how many PVC's I had, etc., and he said the only real concern was that I had 3 PVC's in a row. My PCM wants me to see the cardiologist, but since it will probably be a couple of weeks at least I was wondering if anyone knows how to read one of these things and how concerned I should be?
Heres' the results:

VENTICULAR EVENTS
Total beats 474
%beats 0.45
Forms 36
AIVR/IVR Runs 0
Longest 0 beats at
Max Rate 0 BPM
Max VE/Minute 15 beats at 12:44:00
Max VE/Hour 198 beats at 12:00.00
Mean VE/Hour 20.6
VE/1000 4.5

SUPERVENTRICULAR EVENTS
Total beats 25
%Beats 0.02
Couplets 2
SVTach Runs 2
Longest 3 beats at 10:47:48
Max Rate 142 BPM at 15:39:18
Max SVE/Minute 6 beats at 15:39:00
Max SVE/Hour 6 beats at 10:00:00
SVE/1000 0.2

Then the doctor made a note:
Pt with relatively frequent PVC's and occasional PAC's, most without diary (sp? doctor's writing hard to read!) correlation but occuring in trigenemy. Rec consideration eval if symptoms persist.

Can someone experienced decipher all of this for me? Should I be concerned? My doctor said to go ahead and see the cardiologist and get evaluated but doesn't seem too concerned except for the 3 PVC's in a row. He said they don't like to see that.Please don't guess on any of this! I'd like someone to respond who is very familiar with all of this. I'm only 42 but my mom and grandmother had heart disease, and my brother had a heart attack at 42 although he was a heavy smoker and I don't smoke. Is this within normal? Is this something I just have to live with? And why do they not like to see PVC's in a row like that? Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
10 Responses
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Avatar universal
I have primary hypersomnia and severe airborne allergies. I have been taking methylphenidate SA 20 mg 2-3 x/day (with occassional medication vacation days every few weeks) for the past 6 months with no significant side effect. This past August, I began having severe allergic reactions to eating grains and I also began allergy shots. Most recently, I have developed PVCs - most prevalent after eating grains (okay, I cannot resist sometimes!!!); the PVCs usually take a few days to clear up after I have eaten the offending food. My neurologist wants me to consider giving up using stimulant medication and using Xyrem --- something I really do not want to do. However, I am concerned about the development of PVCs. Does anyone have any experience with this type of situation? Any advice?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
i just done a holter test for 24 hours and the doctor said i had some abnormalties and scheduled an ultrasound of the heart .  what are some abnormalties that would require an ultrasound?  should i be worried
Helpful - 0
203342 tn?1328737207
Hey thanks! You've been a big help! I feel better now. The reason why I was wondering if I'll always have them is because I only recently started getting these palpitations. They started in April. I'm not sure what triggered them, but I had been under a tremendous amount of stress this last year. But things actually seemed to be doing better, so I don't know why now. I do notice that I seem to get more when I'm stressed, had too much caffeine, too little sleep. I'm wondering if there's any natural remedies that can help?
By the way, I have 3 kids too! :)
Thanks again!
Thank you everybody who responded!!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hello there...

I just wanted to let you know that I am a 24 year old female who has close to 20,000 pvc's everyday.  And it is in fact , VERY bothersome. I used to have a few like you did that would freak me out and give me panic attacks, and I thought I would die, but... I got over that feeling, and now I am taking toprol XL. But, I just started taking it. This is my first time taking a beta blocker.
Helpful - 0
203342 tn?1328737207
Thank you for your insight. What exactly are SVT's? It's strange, the doctor said there were three PVC's in a row. But then again, I don't think he even knew exactly how to read it!
Wow, you think 474 is a few?! That seems like a lot to me! :)
I wish I had the holter on today. I've been feeling these PCV's CONSTANTLY today, non-stop. I'd be interested in knowing how many I had today. It seems much worse. I really don't like the way it feels.
Well, my doctor is going to go ahead and refer me to a cardiologist so I guess it wouldn't hurt to see one. Maybe he can explain stuff to me better than my doctor.
Thanks again for responding!
Helpful - 0
21064 tn?1309308733
Hi April,
I am not a doctor, but I have had a lot of holters and have a history of pvcs so I've got a pretty good idea about deciphering the language on the report...lol

Overall, the report looks good, probably what a cardio will call "benign."  Here's my take:

During the entire recording, the monitor recorded 474 ectopic beats (beats originating outside the "normal" place) which accounts for .45 of your total heartbeats.  I'm not sure about "forms," but maybe it refers to the number of events, or types of arrythmias.  The maximum number of ventricular ectopies (pvcs) were 15 per minute around 12:45 (time).  The maximum number of ventricular ectopies (pvcs) were 198 per hour and that occurred within the 12:00 hour (time).  The mean number of ventricular ectopies per hour were 20.6.  Not sure about the last figure, but I think it may have to do with the percentage of pvcs per ??

Superventricular events are extra beats originating in the atrium.  These are PAC's, or premature atrial contractions.  The "super" refers to "above" chambers, or atria (as opposed to lower, or ventricular).  It appears that you had 25 superventricular events (PACs) accounting for .02 of your total heartbeats during the recording.  You had 2 couplets, which are two irregular beats in a row (a triplet is when you have 3, and some doctors refer to 3 or more as a run, or salvo).  So, it looks like you had 2 runs of PACs, not PVCs, of which the longest was 3 beats at 10:47a.m.  Your maxiumu heartrate was 142, probably when you weren't sitting still or sleeping.  The maxium number of superventricular events (PACs) per minute was 6 beats at 3:39 p.m. The maximum superventricular events (PACs) per hour wsas 6 beats at 10:00 a.m.

The note indicates that you had PVCs and PACs, most of which you did not notice.  "Without diary" means that you didn't write anything down (because you didn't notice them), but you were having the extra beats.  Looks like you were in trigeminy when this occurred.  Trigimeny is when you have an extra beat every 3rd beat.  Not 3 in a row, but like beat, beat, extra, beat, beat, extra, beat, beat, extra.  Then it says "reconsider evaluation if symptoms persist."

Personally, I do not think you have anything to worry about.  But, I know what it's like to wonder what's up...See a cardio may be the best assurance.  In someone with a healthy heart, 3 ectopies in a row is pretty insignificant.  I totally understand your concern b/c of the family history.  I think it would give you great peace of mind to follow up.  Your report looks absolutely "normal" to me.  Again, I'm not a doctor.  However, I was having thousands of pvcs a day, including thousands of couplets (2 linked together), runs and all....and the doctors said, it was OK : )

As to whether or not it is something you have to live with.....Um, yep, probably.  If you check out the boards, you'll see that there are lots of us and we've all been where you are now.  Doctors do not like to see runs of PVCs in people with a history of heart disease.  For the rest of us, most of the time treatment is with beta blockers (RX) if the symptoms are bothersome.  Otherwise, we just skip to another beat : )

Have a great day!
connie
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Avatar universal
On the report you gave, you didn't have any PVC's in a row.  You DID have a 3 beat run of SVT which is not from the ventricles but from above, in like in the atria somewhere.  A 3 beat run of SVT is absolutely nothing to worry about.  And you only had a total of 474 PVC's in a 24 hour period which is very few.  So it all sounds like great news to me and you can relax!  If it makes you feel any better then go ahead and schedule an appointment with a cardiologist.
Helpful - 0
203342 tn?1328737207
I haven't seen a cardiologist yet. This was a military hospital and they don't have a cardiologist on staff so they send everybody off base. That's why it will probably take a couple of weeks. Maybe they're just being extra cautious. Military hospitals do that, I guess, but they said they didn't like to see PVC's in a row like that. I still can't tell how many I had that day from these test results. Can anybody tell that? And why would they say they don't like to see them in a row like that? Also what exactly are PAC's? I only knew about the PVC's. Thanks!
Helpful - 0
212161 tn?1599427282
i have many pac/pvc in a row on my holter and nothing to worry about in a stable heart . my cardio says no worry just pac/pvc not going kill you . when in a row its really scarey, feels really bad. ive learn to live with them most of the time . keep head up .
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Avatar universal
I can't help you on the reading, but I'm sure your doctor sent your results straight to the cardiologist- -right?- - and if the cardiologist was really concerned, they would have put you in the hospital then, and not have you waiting 2 weeks for an appt.  Make sure your cariologist has them & has looked at them is my advise.  PVCs are very common, but your doctor should not have scared you & then left you hanging out for 2 weeks to find out something more definate.  Be assertive Jose and find out.
Helpful - 0
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