Utility and cost of event recorders in the diagnosis of palpitations, presyncope, and syncope.

In 184 patients given an event recorder for the evaluation of palpitations, syncope or presyncope, we found that event recorders are useful and relatively inexpensive in the initial evaluation of patients with palpitations regardless of the presence of heart disease, and of syncopal or presyncopal patients without heart disease. In patients with presyncope or syncope who have heart disease and a negative electrophysiology evaluation, event recorders have less utility and are more costly.