Howie Mandel isn't surprised fans may have thought his hospital trip on Monday to treat an irregular heartbeat was an elaborate part of his NBC hidden camera series Howie Do It, but his experience getting treatment could make a whole reality show in itself.

"It was no treat for me, being the germaphobe that I am," Mandel tells PEOPLE. "It was really hard. I wouldn't put on the gown or the customary clothing. I remained clothed and in my boots on the gurney and in the hospital!"

Mandel, 53, discovered he had an irregular heartbeat after an insurance-mandated checkup, but after leaving the hospital, Mandel passed out while walking through the lobby of his hotel, and was put on a gurney and rushed back via ambulance.

"Apparently I passed out because I hadn't eaten, I was dehydrated and I was on medication," says Mandel. "It had nothing to do with my heart. I did not have a heart attack."