Innovative Monitor System Analyzes Bedside Holter ECG

A suite of diagnostic tools streamline cardiac monitoring, diagnosis, and treatment via advanced Holter electrocardiogram (ECG) analysis at the patient's bedside, speeding recovery and improving outcomes.

The MARS Enterprise i and MARS Department from GE Healthcare (GE; Chalfont St. Giles, United Kingdom) transforms every monitor connected to the GE Carescape Clinical Information Center(CIC) Pro into a cardiac diagnostic center, bringing together advanced clinical monitoring and Holter ECG analysis to identify those at the greatest risk for life-threatening cardiac events. Added connectivity to the GE MUSE Cardiology Information System allows the storage of Holter reports for better accessibility, and a workflow secure web upload supports access to data from sites that are not connected to a local network for faster data review and diagnosis.


A comprehensive suite of algorithms is available in the MARS systems. These include EK-Pro ECG analysis, which uses up to three simultaneous ECG leads for optimized arrhythmia event detection and analysis; an atrial fibrillation (AF) algorithm that detects, quantifies, and documents episodes of AF by using the MARS system's beat detection, timing, and beat labeling information; a QT interval measurement algorithm that simplifies the process of identifying prolonged QT, a genetic or drug-induced complication that can lead to serious arrhythmias; and a heart rate variability (HRV) algorithm that quantifies the body's ability to maintain a normal heart rate by measuring small variations in heart rate change over a 24-hour period.

Additionally, a pacemaker analysis program captures pacemaker spikes and synchronizes with the ECG signal, and a unique pacer spike histogram allows clinicians to verify pacemaker operation and abnormalities. An hourly pacemaker summary report indicates percent paced, atrial paced, and A/V paced, and a trend report showing rates of all paced beats. A Modified Moving Average T-wave Alternans (TWA) algorithm measures and quantifies alternations on beat-to-beat patterns, precisely detecting fluctuations in the ECG waveform (TWA enables physicians to identify an often-missed pattern variation that may indicate a high level of cardiac risk, and localizes areas in heart where TWA occurs the most).

Finally, a Heart Rate Turbulence (HRT) algorithm measures and compares the heart rate before and after premature ventricular contractions. These comparisons are used to determine the status of the autonomic nervous and cardiovascular systems, which are indicative of cardiac health. When HRT is used in conjunction with TWA, HRV, and QT analysis, multiple risk factors can be measured simultaneously, giving clinicians a comprehensive view of a patient's risk.

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