Zio XT Patch - heart rhythm monitor at Spire Little Aston Hospital

Arrhythmia is when your heart beats in an irregular way. Instead of a steady rhythm, your heart may:

• Beat faster — this is called tachycardia ie a heartbeat faster than 100 beats per minute
• Beat slower — this is called bradycardia ie a heartbeat slower than 60 beats per minute
• Miss beats

In people who get symptoms, these irregular rhythms can be frequent or daily, but often symptoms come and go sporadically.

Arrhythmias can occur as a result of an underlying heart condition and you may not have symptoms at all.

When is heart rhythm monitoring recommended?

You may need a heart monitor for arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common arrhythmia in the UK. Heart monitoring can also be used to detect less common arrhythmias such as:

• Pauses and slow heart rhythms
• Fast heart rhythms known as tachycardia
• Ventricular arrhythmias such as ventricular tachycardia (VT)

Your doctor may recommend that you have a Zio XT so that any irregular heartbeats can be captured on a recording or ruled out as the cause for your symptoms.

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Our consultants have high standards to meet, often holding specialist NHS posts and delivering expertise in complex sub-specialty surgeries. Many of our consultants have international reputations for their research in their specialised field.

You will have a formal consultation with a healthcare professional. During this time you will be able to explain your medical history, symptoms and raise any concerns that you might have.

We will also discuss with you whether any further diagnostic tests, such as scans or blood tests, are needed. Any additional costs will be discussed before further tests are carried out.

Documenting your symptoms, whatever they may be ahead of your appointment can help you and your doctor make sense of any irregular heartbeat you may have and how often it may occur.

It is important that you explain the frequency of your symptoms and what they feel like to your doctor, as this may help to ensure you get the right test for you.

These are some of the symptoms you may experience that you should make note of:

• Breathlessness: (sometimes called Dyspnea) shortness of breath or feeling that you cannot catch your breath sometimes made worse by exercising. Shortness of breath can also be at rest eg sitting down
• Palpitations: a beating sensation in your chest that you can feel, this could be described as a fluttering, pounding, racing, skipped beats or irregular beats in your chest
• Dizziness, feeling giddy or that you may fall over (Pre-syncope)
• Fainting or collapsing, can also be described as having a black-out (Syncope)
• Chest pain: a pain in the center of your chest, when associated with arrhythmia it can come and go quickly

Fitting the Zio XT monitor

When you're prescribed a Zio XT you'll need to bare your chest area on the upper left side. Then some skin preparation is needed to ensure that the device can be securely fitted to your chest; this involves light skin abrasion and cleaning the skin with an alcohol wipe to ensure that the dead skin cells and any natural oils are cleaned away. If you have chest hair this will need to be shaved off.

Following the skin preparation the device can be pressed onto your skin following our guide that's found within the box - this will usually take a few minutes. We advise that you don’t shower or heavily exercise for the first 24 hours to allow the device to fully adhere to your skin.

How long does the device fitting take?

Fitting the Zio XT device only takes a few minutes, the device is then worn for up to 14 days.

What to do while wearing the device

Over the prescribed wear period you'll be wearing the device on your skin, you can continue with all normal activities, in the knowledge that Zio captures every heartbeat.

At the end of the recording, you should return the device to iRhythm using the pre-paid returns packet via your local post box. The report will be available to your doctor usually between 2-4 days after the device has been received.

If you're having any problems with the device or have any questions regarding Zio please contact iRhythm directly on 0808 189 4311 or supportuk@irhythmtech.com where they are happy to assist you at any time on their helpline. More information can be found at irhythmtech.co.uk

Your doctor will receive your results a few days after the device has been returned to iRhythm. Usually your doctor will make a follow-up appointment or ensure that your results are communicated to you with any further advice, treatments or tests that you may require.

We are committed to delivering excellent individual care and customer service across our network of hospitals, clinics and specialist care centres around the UK. Our dedicated and highly trained team aim to achieve consistently excellent results. For us it's more than just treating patients, it's about looking after people.

Important to note

The treatment described on this page may be adapted to meet your individual needs, so it's important to follow your healthcare professional's advice and raise any questions that you may have with them.