Cardiac monitoring

The phrase cardiac monitoring generally refers to continuous monitoring of the heart activity, generally by electrocardiography, with assessment of the patients condition relative to their cardiac rhythm. It is different from hemodynamic monitoring, which monitors the pressure and flow of blood within the circulatory system. The two may be performed simultaneously on critical heart patients. A small monitor worn by an ambulatory patient is known as a Holter monitor. Transmitting data from a monitor to a distant monitoring station is known as telemetry or biotelemetry.