The basic idea
Palpitations are the feeling of a pounding, fluttering, racing, or skipped heartbeat. The sensation alone does not identify its cause. An ECG or a longer rhythm recording can help your clinician connect symptoms with what the heart was doing at the time.
A review can translate an existing report and explain what was documented during that recording. Your treating team decides whether more evaluation is needed, especially if symptoms change or were not captured.
General background: NHLBI: diagnosing rhythm problems (opens in a new tab); NHLBI: arrhythmia symptoms (opens in a new tab). Updated September 22, 2026. About our sources.
Common questions before your next visit
What do PACs and PVCs mean on a heart monitor?
PACs are early beats that start in the upper heart chambers; PVCs start in the lower chambers. These terms identify where the early beats begin. Your clinician interprets them alongside your symptoms and the rest of your heart evaluation. Source: American Heart Association: PACs and PVCs (opens in a new tab).
Can a normal ECG miss palpitations that come and go?
Yes. An ECG records a brief period, so an intermittent problem may not happen during it. A longer monitor can record the heart during everyday activities. Your clinician decides whether that is needed. Source: MedlinePlus: electrocardiogram and longer recordings (opens in a new tab).
What if my usual symptoms did not happen during monitoring?
Tell the ordering clinician which episodes were and were not captured. Longer recordings may help when symptoms are infrequent. A report cannot describe an episode that did not occur during the recorded period. Source: NHLBI: diagnosing heart rhythm problems (opens in a new tab).
Questions worth bringing to your team
- What rhythm was recorded when I pressed the symptom button?
- What do PACs, PVCs, and burden mean in this report?
- Did the monitor capture the episodes I am most concerned about?
- What questions remain after the monitor and other tests?
- What follow-up and symptom instructions has my clinician given me?
How a review can help
We can explain the terms in the written reports and the options your treating team has already documented. We help you separate what the notes answer from what still needs discussion.
Useful records to gather
The complete rhythm-monitor report, symptom diary if available, ECG report, cardiology note, medication list, and any relevant existing echo or lab reports.
Use the complete records checklistSee a sample review
“My monitor says rare extra beats. What happened when I felt the flutter?”
Read the sample caseA focused review, for $350
Up to 40 relevant pages, a 30-minute phone or video call with a physician, a plain-language summary, and questions for your team. Completed within 48 hours of acceptance, payment, and complete records. Adults in New York.
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