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Kardia Mobile ECG

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  • 16-08-2018 11:10am
    #1
    Cars51
    Registered Users Posts: 9 ✭


    Has anyone got personal experience of using the Kardia Mobile ECG with a mobile phone. How the whole thing works is not clear on the AliveCor site. There are many bits of information and comment online but it all seems to be a fragmented story. I would like to talk with someone who has been using it for about a year to get the full story.


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    #2
    Vorsprung
    Registered Users Posts: 2,814 ✭✭✭Vorsprung


    I have one on my phone I use for patients in my surgery. I just open the app, get the patient to apply their fingers to the pads (stuck to the back of my phone cover) and leave them to quietly hold for 30 seconds. What you get is a 30 second rhythm strip which gives you a sense of the underlying rhythm. It doesn’t replace a full ECG which requires stickers on your chest.

    I’ve attached a sample of what comes up, and you can email yourself a copy of the 30 second strip.

    Very easy to use but does require an internet connection as far as I can tell.


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    #3
    drunkmonkey
    Registered Users Posts: 28,118 ✭✭✭✭drunkmonkey


    Bit of an old thread but from a lay man's point of view should this pick up if you've any heat problem or is it only for specific heart issues.


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    #4
    RoamingDoc
    Registered Users Posts: 174 ✭✭RoamingDoc


    drunkmonkey wrote: »
    should this pick up if you've any heat problem or is it only for specific heart issues.

    Full disclosure: I've never used this thing myself but this:
    Vorsprung wrote: »
    What you get is a 30 second rhythm strip which gives you a sense of the underlying rhythm. It doesn’t replace a full ECG which requires stickers on your chest.

    would indicate to me that while it has its uses, it won't detect any and all problems that may be there but could be useful in some settings to answer a quick, specific question.


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    #5
    Vorsprung
    Registered Users Posts: 2,814 ✭✭✭Vorsprung


    I’ve heard of plenty of cases where a cardiologist had suggested getting where someone is getting occasionally palpitations, essentially a mini event recorder.

    I like using them for out of hours shifts and for the odd home visit.


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    #6
    drunkmonkey
    Registered Users Posts: 28,118 ✭✭✭✭drunkmonkey


    What would it miss though? If there was a chance of a heart attack in the pipeline would it spot it or would you need to use it in conjunction without something else like a blood pressure monitor.


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    #7
    RoamingDoc
    Registered Users Posts: 174 ✭✭RoamingDoc


    This wouldn't be appropriate to use to diagnose either a heart attack in progress or someone at risk of one.

    Rhythm strips are only one lead* from the ECG (usually set to show what is called limb lead II) so you may see ST elevation for a heart attack or ischaemic changes for someone at risk of a heart attack in the "underside" of the heart. Or possible changes for other areas if it was happening elsewhere.

    If someone was having a heart attack and you were concerned about abnormal electrical patterns caused by the dying heart muscle, it could have a limited use.


    In that sort of setting described, you'd need a real ECG machine to tell you what's actually going on.

    * = A full ECG is 12 leads.


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    #8
    drunkmonkey
    Registered Users Posts: 28,118 ✭✭✭✭drunkmonkey


    Yea that's what I'm trying to get to. You could be having heart problems and this might tell you everything is fine.
    Thought the Mrs was having a heart attack the other night she refused to let the ambulance come after we called the doctor, her fit bit was all normal and I got her to try the kardia and that was all fine, heart rate normal not elevated or anything.
    Still trying to get to the bottom of the problem but would like to be able to keep an eye on our hearts at home as best possible. Probably being way over cautious but seen as the technology is there it'll do no harm. Just when you see guys not a lot older and probably fitter than you fall over you'd like to keep and eye on it without the doctor thinking your paranoid.


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    #9
    RoamingDoc
    Registered Users Posts: 174 ✭✭RoamingDoc


    ECGs can also look entirely normal during a heart attack.

    They’re a very very useful addition to a proper medical assessment but not a substitute for one.

    I’d be waiting for what the doctor says before drawing any conclusions but it’s entirety appropriate to question the reliability of any of these new devices.


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    #10
    Wesser
    Registered Users Posts: 1,813 ✭✭✭Wesser


    drunkmonkey wrote: »
    Yea that's what I'm trying to get to. You could be having heart problems and this might tell you everything is fine.
    Thought the Mrs was having a heart attack the other night she refused to let the ambulance come after we called the doctor, her fit bit was all normal and I got her to try the kardia and that was all fine, heart rate normal not elevated or anything.
    Still trying to get to the bottom of the problem but would like to be able to keep an eye on our hearts at home as best possible. Probably being way over cautious but seen as the technology is there it'll do no harm. Just when you see guys not a lot older and probably fitter than you fall over you'd like to keep and eye on it without the doctor thinking your paranoid.


    of course it can do harm. perfect case as you have just described. you think you might be having a heart attack but erroneously reassure yourself that all is fine just because yoir heart rate is not elevated.


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