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[National registry of non-invasive electrocardiology in 1999]
Insights
Portuguese hospitals widely use Holter monitoring for cardiac diagnostics. However, advanced techniques like late potential studies and tilt tests remain less accessible, indicating resource disparities in noninvasive electrophysiology laboratories.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Electrophysiology
- Medical Technology Assessment
Context:
- A 1999 national registry surveyed noninvasive laboratory resources across 48 Portuguese hospital centers.
- Focus on the availability and utilization of diagnostic tools in cardiology departments.
Purpose:
- To assess the resources and capabilities of noninvasive electrophysiology laboratories in Portugal.
- To understand the adoption and application of key diagnostic techniques.
Summary:
- Holter monitoring is ubiquitous in Portuguese hospitals, with stable examination numbers between 1998-1999.
- Most Holter equipment supports ST segment analysis; fewer offer QT interval or heart rate variability.
- Late potential studies are less common, showing a decline in examinations, while event recorders and tilt test facilities are limited.
Impact:
- Highlights the widespread availability of foundational cardiac diagnostic tools like Holter monitoring.
- Reveals significant gaps in the accessibility of more specialized electrophysiological techniques.
- Underscores the crucial role of cardiopneumology technicians in routine diagnostic interpretations.
Abstract:
The Portuguese Association of Arrhythmology. Pacing and Electrophysiology undertook a national registry on resources available in noninvasive laboratories in 1999. Forty-eight hospital centres answered the inquiry. Holter monitoring is an established technique, owned by all cardiology departments in the main hospitals and in 86% of district hospitals. The 40 centres with the technique have a total of 50 analysers and 166 recorders. The number of examinations performed was 14,046 in 1998 and 14,516 in 1999, which shows a remarkable stability. Ninety-three percent of equipments allow ST segment, 38% QT interval and 33% heart rate variability analysis. It is worth nothing the high activity of cardiopneumology technicians in the reading of the exams (94%). Late potential study is less spread. It is only possible in 38% of centers and between 1998 and 1999 the number of exams declined from 592 to 357. Only 12 centers have event recorders, nevertheless the number performed increased from 251 in 1998 to 283 in 1999. Finally, eight centres have tilt test facilities, but we do not have numbers of the examinations that were performed.