Holter blood pressure monitoring, also called ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM), is a method to measure your blood pressure on a continuous basis for 24 hours. A Holter monitor is a small portable device attached to a strap or belt that records your blood pressure outside your healthcare provider’s office. It has to be worn together with a cuff attached to your arm.
How is ambulatory blood monitoring being performed?
The patient comes to the outpatient clinic in the morning. The doctor or nurse fits the inflatable cuff on the patient’s arm and sets up the device that might be slung over the shoulder or fastened around the waist. The patient then goes home or drives to work with the equipment being attached.
We recommend our patients to follow a “normal routine” (without any significant physical exertion) during the measurement. This will help us better assess the blood pressure response to normal daily exertion. For example, driving all day might affect blood pressure monitoring.
The device measures the blood pressure automatically at certain intervals, namely 15-minute intervals during the day and 30-minute intervals at night.
In order to evaluate the measurements correctly, the patient needs to keep a diary and record his daily activities and their time. In fact, elevated pressure during exertion might be evaluated as normal, while elevated resting pressure might be considered as pathology. A blank diary can be downloaded here. A template with instructions on how to complete the diary can be viewed here.
The measurement output is a curve of blood pressure values. These values are recorded by the device during the day and night. Based on the measured values, we get a more comprehensive view of the blood pressure and its changes during the day.
Please note that the device “whirrs” quietly during the measurement. You will not notice this sound during most activities. However, in some situations it may bother or stress you (e.g. in the theatre or at an important meeting).
Instructions for using the device
When the cuff is inflating, keep your hand still and do not move it. If the measurement fails, the device will repeat the measurement.
Do not take a shower/bath and do not soak the device while wearing it. Avoid activities that might damage it (e.g. martial arts). Keep in mind that the device costs approximately CZK 100 000.
Bring four AA batteries with you for each measurement at the clinic. At least each couple of the batteries should be of the same type. We do not recommend the rechargeable batteries as they do not last long enough. In the evening, remove the batteries from the device and replace them with new ones as instructed by the nurse.
In case of any problems with the device, please contact our outpatient clinic.