Holter ECG monitoring in studying cardiac arrhythmias among railway workers

Abstract

Aim. To investigate prevalence and structure of cardiac arrhythmias in railway workers of working age.
Material and methods. Holter monitoring of ECG (ECG HM) was performed in 136 males — train machinists and machinist assistants, aged 19-55 (mean age 37±2.9 years), without any cardiovascular complaints. ECG HM was performed with computer system “Labetex” (“Meditex”, Hungary). At standard ECG registration, arrhythmias (mostly extrasystoles) were observed in 17 participants only (12.5%).
Results. Various cardiac arrhythmias were observed in 62 participants. Conductive abnormalities were identified in 6 individuals (10.6%): supraventricular pacemaker migration (n=4), and Stage I atrioventricular blockade (n=2). Episodic, low-grade ventricular and supraventricular extrasystolia (VES, SVES) was registered in 32 males (51.6%). Twenty-four individuals (37.8%) had high-grade VES, frequent SVES, in various combinations, as well as episodes on non-persistent V and SV tachycardia (VT, SVT).
Conclusion. The observed high prevalence (45.6%) of cardiac arrhythmias in the working-age people without cardiovascular clinical symptoms reflects a need of more detailed examination in this population. ECG HM gives an opportunity to register cardiac arrhythmic episodes more often than standard ECG.