Ambulatory ECG monitoring in primary care

Cardiac arrhythmia affects more than 700,000 people in England and is consistently in the top ten reasons for hospital admission, consuming significant accident and emergency time and bed days.1 In the general population, arrhythmias are normally quite minor, silent, and typically benign. Symptoms may affect the patient enough to be both disruptive and distressful. In extreme cases, some arrhythmias can cause life threatening situations that may lead to stroke, cardiac arrest, or sudden death.