Narberal_Delta t1_its28gj wrote
i had a relative whose apple watch warned him three times of abnormal heart rhythm. He called his doctor’s office and was told not to worry and how those things weren’t accurate. An hour later he dropped dead of a heart attack.
murius t1_itsoa6s wrote
When Apple watch was relatively new I was at the office and one of the guys was stressed, yelling and going off to himself about some project which is common for him to do ... Then he suddenly stops yelling mid sentence ... A few seconds later we hear him quietly say "my apple watch says I have an elevated heart rate and I need to relax".
We all cracked up so bad.
tourette_unicorn t1_ittal6w wrote
I had a baby in April, got my Apple Watch on my birthday in January. It determined that for two weeks after I had my baby, my average resting heart rate changed, and notified me. I was amazed because the rate of change began on my baby’s birthdate.
It’s also notified me that I’ve had a higher heart rate and asked if I was okay on two separate occasions. Once after getting my tetanus vaccine, when I was running a fever, and the other time was when I had Covid. It was my first symptom and I didn’t even know it until my watch notified me. Pretty cool technology, in my opinion!
Mitthrawnuruo t1_itsdap0 wrote
Yea….they are actuate.
As accurate as a cardiologist interpretation of the rhythm? I doubt it.
As good as a family’s docs? I’d bet better.
ram1583 t1_itsrj4w wrote
I went to several cardiologists who didn’t interpret my ekg readings correctly. Apple Watch told me I had an issue and needed to go to emergency room. I listened and they admitted me right away after discovering I had grade 3 heart block and had to get a pace maker put in. So yeah. At this point I trust gadgets better then some cardiologists.
Mitthrawnuruo t1_itsw1xh wrote
A third degree hard block is pretty obvious. Any ER doc, paramedic, or cardiologist could recognize it.
I suspect strongly, that you were not in a third degree block when they took the EKGs. Heart rhythms can be variable.
dsmklsd t1_itujqgs wrote
Doesn't that still kind of prove the point though? A device that is watching (heh) 24 hours a day can catching things that a point in time reading can't?
Mitthrawnuruo t1_ituki0e wrote
Continues monitoring can be helpful, yes.
extremely_impolite t1_itwtcb6 wrote
My own experience with doctors tells me that the problem likely existed, and the doctors he saw didn't take him seriously and pushed him out the door with a "just get some rest".
Narberal_Delta t1_itsttaq wrote
honestly while there’s some art to looking at the EKG it’s not the most complicated bit of cardiology. this is one of those things that can be more automated than it traditionally is. It takes longer to wire you up than it does to take the reading and the patterns have never struck me as so complex as to be beyond machine learning.
while it’s not a replacement for a specialist it’s good enough to say “something is seriously wrong go to the ER right now!”
I wish my cousin had done that, his death was a tragedy. One of the more decent human beings I’ve known.
Mitthrawnuruo t1_itswsdc wrote
Although I support the tech and hope it does well….30,000 dollar heart monitors routinely misdiagnose heart rhythms, especially acute changes.
I consider cardiology (not the basic stuff, stemis, blocks, etc etc) but the stuff in the weeds one of the harder parts of being a paramedic.
And I’d trust a paramedics interpretation way before a machines, at this point.
justgetoffmylawn t1_itt8vwc wrote
Like radiology, things like ECG interpretations will really benefit from machine learning on massive datasets. In both areas, we're not far away from an AI interpretation exceeding the abilities of a technician. Proof of concept has already shown neural networks outperforming resident doctors on 12-lead ECG interpretation.
Mitthrawnuruo t1_itu970t wrote
Cool. So it is outperforming students. In telehealth network.
In a 3rd world country.
Additionally the article goes on to make several errors. I quote: “the S12L-ECG can provide a full evaluation of the cardiac electrical activity.”
This is not true. 15 lead EKGs are and have been for over decade a standard of care, especially if concern for a right sided MI, utilizing V4r, V5r, v6R. Then you have your 18 or more lead EKGs, that look at the posterior wall MIs.
Additionally, when you did farther. It becomes how simplistic the program is.
the S12L-ECG can provide a full evaluation of the cardiac electrical activity.
It only detects 6 “ abNormalities”: but when we break it down, only one even requires medical treatment based on the EKG, and the only other one that require treatment can be treated based solely on physical assessment.
First degree heart block. Sounds bad, but it just means it takes slightly longer for the electrical activity from the above AV node to travel through and below the AV node. It is an incidental finding. It isn’t treated, monitored,’or concerning.
Sinus tachycardia: drink to much Red Bull today? Go for a jog? Your in sinus tachycardia. It is just a normal sinus rhythm over >100. It isn’t concerning, and it isn’t treated (although the condition that caused it, such as pain; or dehydration, might be).
Sinus bradycardia: again, just a normal sinus rhythm, but slower then 60. It isn’t treated unless a person is symptomatic. IE; lightheaded or dizzy. Having chest pain due to hypotension. But you don’t need an EKG to tell you that. You could just take a pulse. Honesty, a pulse and blood pressure are more important. Treatment could be done entirely without an EKG, although cardiac monitoring would be preferable. You fix it with atropine, or you fix it would electrical stimulation (pacing)
Right and left BBB mean nothing, other then the normal electrical activity /pathway is abnormal. A LBBB makes it much harder to diagnose a STEMI (large heart attack) on the EKG.
There is a way to spot a mI on a patient with a LBBB, but I’ve read about it, studied it and can’t recognition it when I see it. I’m apparently not the only one; as the AHA recommendation is to treat it like. A heart attack unless is it KNOWN the patient has had a LBBB.
I don’t know anyplace that does this.
So….of those rhythms, only A-fib really la concern and gets treated. With blood thinners, and of course rate control.
Jasonrj t1_ittdr9b wrote
How old was he? Did he have other risk factors?
I get an abnormal rhythm on occasion. Sometimes just a few seconds off and on for a few minutes or an hour and then not again for weeks or a few years.
After 18 years of not really knowing what was happening I caught an abnormal rhythm alert while taking my blood pressure last month.
I told my doctor and he set me up with a portable heart monitor I'm currently wearing for a few weeks. It happens so infrequently I was worried it wouldn't happen while I had the monitor but I logged several events yesterday. Hoping it's just stress/anxiety and not more serious.
Narberal_Delta t1_ittp0hu wrote
fifty, i don’t think his diet was the best but he ran regularly. His fucking doctor wound up killing him, if he’d just done to the ER he probably would have lived.
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