Some heart issues don’t show symptoms all the time. An abnormal heart rate, such as tachycardia (too fast) or bradycardia (too slow), may happen only once in a while. Likewise, an abnormal heart rhythm may only happen occasionally. The specialists at Norton Children’s Heart Institute, affiliated with the University of Louisville, can use devices such as the pediatric Holter monitor to track your child’s heart rate for longer time periods in order to find the correct diagnosis for your child.

A Holter monitor records the electrical activity of your child’s heart for 24 hours or longer to help identify the diagnose related to your child’s heart condition.

With locations around Kentucky and Southern Indiana, you and your child can stay close to home for diagnostic services with Norton Children’s Heart Institute.

Norton Children’s Heart Institute technicians will place electrodes, like those used in an EKG test, on your child. The electrodes are sticky and attach to your child’s chest. Wires run from the electrodes to a Holter monitor, which continuously records your child’s heart rhythm.

Your child will wear the Holter monitor on a belt or shoulder strap for 24 hours or longer. The monitor records the heart’s electrical activity while your child does his or her regular activities. We may ask you or your child to keep a log of your child’s activities while the Holter monitor is recording. The log gives our pediatric cardiologists more detail when examining the data that is recorded.

You’ll remove the Holter monitor after the testing period is completed or return to a Norton Children’s Heart Institute location to have a technician remove it.

Why Norton Children’s Heart Institute?

Norton Children’s Heart Institute, affiliated with the University of Louisville, is a comprehensive pediatric heart surgery, heart failure and heart transplant program serving Kentucky, Southern Indiana and beyond.

The goal of the full-service Norton Children’s Heart Institute is to provide care for the child and the whole family. Our specialists are prepared to repair even the most complex congenital and acquired heart conditions.

Our heart team includes:

• Pediatric cardiothoracic surgeons
• Pediatric transplant surgeons
• Pediatric cardiologists
  • Fetal cardiologists
  • Adult congenital heart cardiologist
  • Heart failure/heart transplant cardiologist
  • Pediatric electrophysiologists
  • Pediatric cardiac catheterization cardiologists
• Pediatric cardiovascular anesthesiologist
• Pediatric intensive care physicians
• Specially trained nurses
• Specially trained pharmacist
• Family support team
• Child life specialists
• Rehabilitation specialists
• Social workers