Cardiac telemetry 2016: An overview of guidelines and clinical practice

The pervasive technology of cardiac monitoring has greatly advanced patient care for several decades. Since its advent, telemetry has been used in a variety of settings to guide medical management in patients who are either acutely or non-acutely ill. Evidence from several studies supports the benefits of the 2004 American Heart Association (AHA) telemetry guidelines in stratifying patients into 3 groups based on their individual cardiac event risk. It has been shown to reduce hospital costs without compromising patient care as well as eliminate overflow of telemetry units. This article reviews the AHA cardiac telemetry guidelines and evaluates the current status of its implementation, the general benefits, as well as its limitations.

Key-words:

Telemetry - Cardiac monitoring - Inpatient cardiac care.

Publication History

Received: 22 July 2016

Accepted: 10 September 2016

Article published online:
07 July 2022