In recent decades, the use of electronic devices in the field of health has made significant progress and has created new opportunities for physicians and patients in the management of many diseases. Remote monitoring of heart health using new technologies has been an effective part of the heart treatment programs in the world for more than two decades and its importance has increased during the Covid-19 epidemic. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the world and arrhythmia or irregular heartbeat is one of the most common of these diseases.Early detection of cardiac arrhythmias can significantly reduce the risk of this disease. Since 1961, the use of Holter monitors to diagnose cardiac arrhythmias has been common, but problems with Holter devices such as time constraints (24 to 48 hours), relatively short diagnostic intervals, high cost, and skin incompatibility of patients with this device have led researchers to Design a new monitor called an ECG patch that can be placed on a patient's chest to take an ECG. In this article, we try to get acquainted with the new generation of adhesive breast devices by diagnosing arrhythmias. Stay with us.
Arrhythmia is an abnormal heartbeat. This heart problem is harmless in some cases and life threatening in others. An arrhythmia may be short-lived or long-lasting, causing the heart to beat too slow or too fast and the heart to be irregular.There are several types of arrhythmia, the most common of which is atrial fibrillation (Afib or AF), in which the upper chambers of the heart contract irregularly. Atrial fibrillation can lead to blood clots, stroke, heart failure and other heart-related complications. About 6.1 million Americans have atrial fibrillation, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The following people are most at risk for atrial fibrillation:
• The elderly;
• People with high blood pressure;
• People with underlying heart disease;
• People with a family history of atrial fibrillation;
•People with other chronic diseases, such as thyroid problems, diabetes and asthma.
Other malignant cardiac arrhythmias include persistent ventricular tachycardia, which is less common and can cause circulatory failure and death. PVC cardiac arrhythmias and highly recurrent premature ventricular beats are other types of arrhythmias that can be detected by ECG.
Symptoms of a cardiac arrhythmia include:
• fatigue;
• dizziness;
• faint;
• Increased heart rate;
• Shortness of breath;
• Chest pain.
In severe cases, heart disease can lead to sudden cardiac arrest.
When a person has symptoms of a cardiac arrhythmia, a cardiologist will order an ECG or ECG test to detect an abnormal heart rhythm. ECG is done in a doctor's office, clinic or hospital, but sometimes the patient's ECG does not show a problem during the test in the hospital or office; For this reason, your doctor may recommend remote heart monitoring to make sure the test is accurate. In this case, a device is needed that the patient can have with him at home to monitor his heart rate in the long run. Cardiac monitoring helps the doctor make sure the arrhythmia is present and prescribes appropriate treatment accordingly.
Several methods can be used to diagnose arrhythmias. Cardiac tests range from the use of permanent ECG monitors such as Holter to more invasive procedures. In the following, we will get acquainted with traditional methods of diagnosing cardiac arrhythmias.
Holter monitor
Holter monitor is a small, portable outpatient ECG monitor that continuously measures and records the electrical activity of the heart for 24 to 48 hours.
Event Monitor (Transtelfonic Monitor)
This type of monitor can track the electrical activity of the heart for up to two months. Event monitors (transthophonic monitors) are especially useful for patients with suspected arrhythmias that occur infrequently or disappear quickly. The telephone transceiver monitor can be attached to the patient's body through a bracelet, finger clip, or subcutaneously and send the data directly to the physician for examination.
Exercise test (stress test)
Exercise testing, also known as stress testing, uses a treadmill to help diagnose cardiac arrhythmias. In this test, when a person runs or walks on a treadmill, their heart rate is monitored and if a heartbeat is found to be abnormal, the doctor prescribes the necessary treatments.
Tilt table test
If a person has problems with imbalance, fainting, and sudden irregular heartbeats, their doctor may order a tilt-table test. The data obtained during this experiment can show how the heart responds to a change in posture from lying down to standing.
Electrophysiological (EP) and arrhythmic tests
An electrophysiological test, or EP study, is performed under local anesthesia and can show arrhythmias as well as latent tachycardia (rapid heartbeat) or bradycardia (slow heartbeat). It enters the atria, ventricles, or both through a fluoroscope. Electrode catheters record the heart's signals and electrical pathways during each heartbeat.
Electrophysiological method through the esophagus
In the electrophysiological method of the esophagus, data is collected through a catheter that is inserted into the esophagus through the nostril.
Eco cardiography
Echocardiography, or echocardiography, can use ultrasound to provide valuable information about the size, structure, and function of a patient's heart.
The cases mentioned above are the old methods of examining cardiac arrhythmias. One of the newest devices for testing ECG, patch recorder or adhesive chest devices, which we will learn more about this new and portable device in the following.
The latest method of diagnosing cardiac arrhythmias: adhesive chest devices
As mentioned, if a patient's symptoms are suspected and a 12-lead ECG test does not detect an arrhythmia, your doctor may recommend the use of portable heart monitors.
Holter monitors have been one of the most widely used portable devices for detecting cardiac arrhythmias since 1961, but due to the limitations of this type of monitoring, experts have thought of designing and building newer devices for detecting arrhythmias. The most important limitations of the Holter device are the following:
• Holter can be used to record electrical heartbeats for only 24 to 48 hours;
• Low diagnostic range;
• High prices and costs;
• Incompatibility of some patients with this device.
adhesive chest devices (patch recorders) are portable devices that replaced holter monitors and were able to revolutionize heart monitoring. These portable ECG devices are installed on the patient's body for 2 weeks, during which they record his heart rhythm without interruption. Because ECG patches are on the patient's body for a long time, the doctor can easily decide on a cardiac arrhythmia.According to cardiologists, about one-third of cardiac arrhythmias occur after 48 hours, and the first week is the best time to decide whether or not to have an arrhythmia. Holter devices record heart rate for only 48 hours, which makes the results of using a holter less reliable. Diagnosis of arrhythmias is easier and more accurate with the new generation of chest adhesive devices due to the long-term recording of the heart's electrical activity.
Early detection of cardiac arrhythmias can greatly reduce the risk to the patient. In addition, diagnosing a low-risk arrhythmia reassures heart patients that there is no serious, acute problem and no cause for concern.One of the most important advantages of the new generation of adhesive breast implants is that they have high reliability because they record the patient's heart function for 2 weeks. Cardiac arrhythmias are not detectable in many patients within the first day or two, and symptoms appear after the third day. In some cases, scattered symptoms may appear 7 to 8 days after installation of the device. For this reason, this device is also suitable for rapid diagnosis of arrhythmias in patients with scattered symptoms.
Other advantages of the new generation of adhesive chest or ECG patch devices include the following:
• it's simple;
• Can be used during bathing;
• Does not cause itching and irritation of the skin;
• After completing the heart monitoring course, the patient can remove the device from the surface of his skin;
• Collects and analyzes data in the shortest time and sends it to the treating physician;
• It is a non-invasive method, it is not implanted in the body and it is placed on the skin.
The high accuracy of adhesive chest devices in the immediate diagnosis of cardiac arrhythmias and its benefits have made it one of the most popular portable ECG devices.It is estimated that by 2050, more than 15.9 million people worldwide will have cardiac arrhythmias. Early detection and treatment of this complication is very important. If left untreated, arrhythmias can lead to serious complications such as stroke, heart failure and other acute problems.ECG technologies have been developed to help reduce the time required to diagnose an arrhythmia and improve the patient experience. In this article, we took a full look at the new generation of adhesive breast machines and got acquainted with its benefits. We hope that with the use of modern technologies, the death rate due to heart disease will be minimized.
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