Comparison of continuous 24-hour and 14-day ECG monitoring for the detection of cardiac arrhythmias in patients with ischemic stroke or syncope.

Background: Previous studies show that using 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) or 24-h ECG monitor for the detection of cardiac arrhythmia events in patients with stroke or syncope is ineffective.

Hypothesis: The 14-day continuous ECG patch has higher detection rates of arrhythmias compared with conventional 24-h ECG monitoring in patients with ischemic stroke or syncope.

Methods: This cross-sectional study of patients with newly diagnosed ischemic stroke or syncope received a 24-h ECG monitoring and 14-day continuous cardiac monitoring patch and the arrhythmia events were measured.

Results: This study enrolled 83 patients with ischemic stroke or syncope. The detection rate of composite cardiac arrhythmias was significantly higher for the 14-day ECG patch than 24-h Holter monitor (69.9% vs. 21.7%, p = .006). In patients with ischemic stroke, the detection rates of cardiac arrhythmias were 63.4% for supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), 7% for ventricular tachycardia (VT), 5.6% for atrial fibrillation (AF), 4.2% for atrioventricular block (AVB), and 1.4% for pause by 14-day ECG patch, respectively. The significant difference in arrhythmic detection rates were found for SVT (45.8%), AF (6%), pause (1.2%), AVB (2.4%), and VT (9.6%) by 14-day ECG patch but not by 24-h Holter monitor in patients with ischemic stroke or syncope.

Conclusions: A 14-day ECG patch can be used on patients with ischemic stroke or syncope for the early detection of AF or other cardiac arrhythmia events. The patch can be helpful for physicians in planning medical or mechanical interventions of patients with ischemic stroke and occult AF.