Ambulatory Impedance Cardiography

Preface

1 Introduction

1.1 Importance of transient changes monitoring

1.2 Non-invasive recording of cardiac parameters and its significance

1.3 Ambulatory monitoring and implementations of it

2 Impedance Cardiography

2.1 A note on the history of impedance cardiography

2.2 The origin of the impedance cardiography signal

2.3 Technical aspects of ICG - limitations, errors, and patients' safety

2.4 Modifications of ICG and other impedance techniques

2.5 Physiological and clinical applications of Impedance Cardiography

2.6 The idea of ambulatory impedance cardiography (AICG)

3 Ambulatory Impedance Cardiography - available system

3.1 The ambulatory recorders

3.2 The user interface software

3.3 Calculation of hemodynamic parameters (automatic procedures)

4 Validation of the method

4.1 The quality of AICG recordings

4.2 Comparison between ICG and clinically recognized methods

5 Clinical and physiological applications of ambulatory impedance cardiography

5.1 Atrial fibrillation

5.2 Ventricular extrasystole beats (VEB) monitoring

Cardiac pacing optimization

5.4 Pacemaker syndrome detection

5.5 The tilt test

5.6 Exercise tests

5.7 Other applications

6 Conclusions

6.1 Clinical importance of the ambulatory ICG

6.2 Prospects for impedance ambulatory monitoring

7. References

8. Appendices