CARDIOLOGY patients at GV Health can rest a little easier following an $18,800 donation by Heartbeat Victoria Goulburn Valley Branch, which has helped purchase eight new holter monitors.
The donation came about after Heartbeat member, Gerald Quinn was referred to GV health for a 24 hour holter monitor, but the department wasn’t able to provide one within a short amount of time due to a lack of monitors, so he suggested to the group that they use some funds to donate to the hospital for the purchase of the new devices.
Gerald said, “Last year I had some heart health issues and I came to GV Health, where I was told there would be a three week wait for a holter, so following my treatment I spoke with the other Heartbeat members and we decided it was necessary to donate funds to purchase more holter monitors.
“For the hospital to have these devices is so important.”
GV Health Diagnostic Cardiology and Neurology Services supervisor, Susan Taylor said, “These monitors can be used for short term monitoring (24 hours) or longer term monitoring 48, 72 or 7 day monitoring. They can also be used as a straight forward event monitor, so a patient is able to press a button when they feel their specific symptoms.
“Patients with common symptoms of palpitations, irregular heartbeat, syncope, dizziness, loss of consciousness benefit from holter or event monitoring which is the next step in determining if there is a cardiac basis for the patient symptoms.
“On other occasions the monitor may be utilised to determine if the patient’s medications are working satisfactorily to control abnormal heart rhythms or whether the dosage may need to be modified slightly for better results.
“Having these devices available at GV Health saves the patients from having to travel to alternate centres or having to go to Melbourne for extended monitoring.”
