Purpose
An ambulatory blood pressure monitor is a portable blood pressure recording device. It is used to record blood pressure readings at specified times during a 24-hour period. The monitor consists of an arm cuff attached by a flexible rubber tube to a light-weight monitor. The monitor sits in a pouch held by a waist belt or shoulder strap. This test is usually ordered if a diagnosis of high blood pressure (hypertension) is suspected.
A one-time blood pressure measurement in a doctor’s office or clinic setting is often not enough to confirm whether or not your blood pressure is too high or even, in some cases, too low. If your doctor suspects that you have hypertension or other blood pressure problems, he or she may refer you for ambulatory blood pressure monitoring.
An ambulatory blood pressure monitor is a non-invasive device that includes a special blood pressure cuff attached to a small monitor that you wear for 24 hours. At regular intervals, usually every 20 minutes during the day and less often at night, your blood pressure is measured and recorded while you are going about your everyday activities.
Once the 24-hour period is over, the cuff and monitor are returned and the recordings are analyzed by a specialist and a report is sent to your doctor.
Description
This test is not covered by OHIP. There is a fee of $110.00.
Once your doctor has sent the referral, the Cardiac Imaging department will contact you directly to book an appointment and provide payment details. Please make sure your contact information is accurate.
Set up of the monitor will be done in the Cardiac Imaging department on the S-Level of the Heart Institute.
You will wear the monitor for 24 hours. The cuff automatically inflates every 30 minutes during waking hours. During sleeping hours, the cuff silently inflates once per hour.
If you feel symptoms such as dizziness, headache, rapid heartbeat, or facial flushing, you will be instructed to press a button on the monitor to take a manual blood pressure reading.
You will be given a form to keep a diary of:
- Symptoms,
- Extra-curricular activities,
- Any stressful episodes,
- The dosage and administration times of prescribed blood pressure medications,
- Sleeping and waking hours.
At the end of the monitoring period, turn off the monitor and return the monitor and diary to the black Holter box located inside the main entrance of the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. The recorded data will be reviewed by a specialist, and a report will be sent to your doctor. Your doctor will discuss the results with you.
Patient instructions
When you arrive at the Heart Institute, please visit central registration in the front lobby to register for your appointment. Proceed to the S-Level Cardiac Imaging waiting room and wait to be called by the technician.
Wear loose, comfortable clothing, including a short sleeve shirt if possible, and a waist belt to attach the monitor.
It is important to let the technician know if you are a shift worker so that the correct timing of the measurements can be programmed on the monitor.
If you have had a mastectomy or if you are on permanent hemodialysis, please inform the technician; this will influence the positioning of the arm cuff.
Please complete the diary provided to the best of your ability; it is used in conjunction with your readings to create a report for your doctor. If you have any problems with your monitor, please reference the
Return the monitor and diary to the black Holter box located inside the main entrance of the University of Ottawa Heart Institute at the specified time. Be mindful that the equipment is needed to perform this test on another patient, please do not delay its return.
If you have any questions, please call 613-696-7066, Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.