Cardiac Rehabilitation

Phase I

The program offers patients the opportunity to return to normal activities following a major cardiac event, restore patient health, and improve quality of life. A team of health professionals, including physicians, registered nurses with critical care training and experience, physical therapist and a dietitian, establish a program based on the patient’s individual medical situation, lifestyle and abilities. The team supervises the ongoing care and education of program participants. The cardiac rehabilitation program consists of two phases:

Phase II

This is an intensive 36 session rehabilitation program of exercise and education for those who have had a specific heart event such as heart attack, by-pass surgery or angioplasty and who have been referred by their primary care physician or cardiologist. This monitored program offers a flexible class times three times each week over a 12-week period.

Phase III

This is a Monday through Friday maintenance program in which in addition to exercise, participants choose from ongoing educational and informational programs in various disciplines such as stress management and weight loss. Phase III participants who are at high cardiac or related health risk may need a referral for the maintenance program. Graduates from the cardiac rehab program are eligible for membership discounts at The Health and Wellness Center.

Holter Monitor

A Holter monitor is used to monitor and record the heart’s electrical activity over a 72 hour – 14-day period. An Event Recorder is the same type of monitor but allows recording of abnormal heart rhythms for one to two months.

This service may be scheduled by your physician. For more information, please contact 325-387-1250.

What is the procedure?

The Holter monitor is a small ambulatory, portable ECG machine that can provide the following information:

• The heart’s rhythm over a 72-hours up to 14 days, during normal activities, or recording gets triggered by the patient when a specific event occurs.
• Correlate any symptoms (chest pain, palpitations, etc) the patient experiences with the heart’s electrical activity at that time.
• Record any abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmia) that occur, providing diagnostic information about the type of arrhythmia, how long it lasts, and what might trigger it.
• Determine how well anti-arrhythmia medicines are working.

The Holter monitor is worn over a 72-hour period up to 14 days while the patient does all his/her normal activities. A Small, sticky patch with a small box/monitor is attached to the chest. The box records and stores continuous heart rhythm data. The patient must keep a diary of activities and symptoms that occur while the monitor is in place. This will allow the doctor to correlate activities with symptoms with the heart’s electrical rhythm at a specific point in time. The patient will also be advised of how to care for the monitor while wearing it. When the prescribed time is completed, the patient mails the Holter monitor to the United States Postal in the provided pre- labeled box. A technician does a computerized analysis of the Holter monitor data to prepare a thorough report for the physician.

Useful tips for better recording quality

• Wear a two-piece outfit, preferably a shirt with buttons on the front
• Try to sleep on your back with the recorder positioned at your side so that the electrodes are not pulled off.
• Do not submerge the equipment in water-no baths or swimming.
• You can shower while wearing the monitor
• If you have a hairy chest, the areas where the patch is placed will need to be shaved.
• Avoid electric blankets, magnets, metal detectors, and high voltage areas such as power lines. Signals from such devices may affect recording.
• It is important that you keep the patch attached for the entire recording. You are provided with extra patches in case it needs to be replaced.
• There are extra batteries provided for the monitor.

Where is the test performed?

The Holter monitor is placed at the hospital. The monitor is removed at home and placed in the mail to return. The actual testing period occurs at the patient’s home (or wherever the usual daily routine dictates). Present to the registration desk located at hospital main entrance.

How long does this test take?

The Holter monitor placement takes about 10 to 20 minutes to complete.

To contact the Cardiac Rehabilitation Center, please call (325) 387-1250. Se habla Español.