Kardia????

[Lotty321]

Hi could someone please explain what a Kardia is that people are talking about? X thanks

[Finvola]

It’s a small device which can record one trace ECG’s and can be connected to a smart phone or iPad. Many of us use it to catch arrhythmias and show the traces to our physicians. Others use it for reassurance and simply to know what their hearts are doing. It costs about £100 and I bought mine from Amazon.

More information here on the Alivecor/Kardia site:

alivecor.com/

[Lotty321 in reply to Finvola]

There seems lots on Amazon could you show a picture of the one you have please? X

[Finvola in reply to Lotty321]

amazon.co.uk/Kardia-Mobile-...

Mine is the older version of this which I use with an iPad.

[Lotty321 in reply to Finvola]

Thank you x

[hock217 in reply to Finvola]

They do not ship to U.S. unfortunately.

[Finvola in reply to hock217]

Did you try the amazon.com site or direct from alivecor.com?

[hock217 in reply to Finvola]

I'll be patient. I'm first year of baby boomers after WW2 so this will be huge market in U.S.. n competitive. Forget retirement villages and adult homes. We are the Forever Young generation with music from your Beatles onward.

[doodle68 in reply to hock217]

Hi Hock are you in the USA ,,,

store.alivecor.com/

''AliveCor, Inc. provides free shipping via USPS First Class within the United States for all orders. We ship from Fremont, CA so delivery can take between 1-3 business days, depending where you are located in the United States.''

[hock217 in reply to doodle68]

Thanks. Was told only monitor picks up SVT by another company

[hock217 in reply to Finvola]

Is it true it would not pick up SVT?

[Finvola in reply to hock217]

It picks up my tachycardia but reports it as unclassified as the rate is over 100bpm but regular. Irregular heartbeat is reported as possible AFib. When I get such reports, I print them out to show to my cardiologist and/or pay for a detailed analysis from Alivecor.

[hock217 in reply to Finvola]

My ten lead cardiac monitor picked up 120 -160 extra heartbeats caused by an extra node creating a loop. Weak, sweaty, faint. Had it ablated and On Sotalol. Tied in with diverticulitis.

[Lotty321 in reply to Finvola]

Would it also show atrial flutter? X

[Finvola in reply to Lotty321]

Mine recorded a rapid regular beat and when I showed it to my cardiologist, he said it was Flutter. Kardia itself reported it as unclassified - as Happyjo says, no algorithm to identify Flutter. This is why it is a good idea to let your cardiologist see any suspect trace.

[Lotty321 in reply to Finvola]

Do you just carry around in your hand bag for whenever it happens? X

[Finvola in reply to Lotty321]

Since starting Flecainide, my bursts of arrhythmia are very infrequent so I just leave the Kardia and my iPad at home. If I had frequent episodes I might prefer to use the Kardia with a phone to make it more easily portable.

[doodle68]

Hi Lotty I recently purchased a Kardia and an I pad to go with it as I don't have a smart phone.

How I wish I had known about them before when I had 6 months of hell trying to get a diagnosis of P-AF . I was supposed to get myself to a hospital for an ECG during an episode but could barely speak or stand . I managed it eventually but not before I had some horrible experiences living alone out in the countryside fearful of what was happening to me. I would not call an ambulance and risk 15 hours on a trolly in the local A&E .

Included in the link Finvola posted there is a video which demonstrates how the Kardia works here ,

alivecor.com/how-it-works/

I am very pleased with my Kardia , it is helping me to keep track of what is going on.

[Lotty321 in reply to doodle68]

Thank you, do you print the results or store them? X

[IanMK in reply to Lotty321]

It depends on the features of your smartphone or tablet device. You can store, print or email a PDF of your recording.

[doodle68 in reply to Lotty321]

Hi Lotty, I email them to myself and store them in a folder.

[Vonnieruth in reply to doodle68]

Do they work on any smart phone

[doodle68 in reply to Vonnieruth]

Hi Vonny there is a list of compatable smart phones on the KArdia website

[Vonnieruth in reply to doodle68]

It won't work with mine and I only just got it So no point thinking of getting one

[momist in reply to Vonnieruth]

Sorry to hear it doesn't work with your phone. You could get a very cheap Android tablet to go with it. Even a second hand one. My Kardia works with my old Hudl2, which is now worthless to anybody.

[Lotty321 in reply to doodle68]

Do they work on iPhones? X

[momist in reply to Lotty321]

iPhones, or Android phones only. The windows phones and those with an unusual operating system don't work, as there is no App for them. They communicate with the phone by ultrasound, through the microphone, so the Kardia needs to be very close to the device (like 10cm), and some phones with a noise-cancelling multi microphone arrangement are rumoured not to work.

OTOH, any old cheap Android tablet will work, provided the Android OS is version 4.4 or higher.

My Kardia has worked OK with the two Android phones and two tablets I've got through since I bought it.

[Vonnieruth in reply to momist]

So do they work on any android phone as couldn't see mine on list

[momist in reply to Vonnieruth]

There are so many Android phones, with such a variety of versions of the Android operating system, that AliveCor couldn't possibly keep up with testing the app on all of them and also testing the hardware. As I understand it, it is only very very old versions of Android, and some leading edge, high-end, Android phones that it doesn't work with. But then, I'm no expert.

My Samsung S4mini was on Android 4.4.2 and worked, until the phone died unexpectedly. My Hudl2 still works, and is on Android 4.2 I think. It is too slow, has too small a memory and the battery no longer lasts more than a couple of hours. I replaced that with a Huawei M3 which I now love, and which uses Android 7.0, and my phone is now a Motorola G5 which is also on 7.0. Both work well with the Kardia.

If anyone reading this wants a Hudl2 to use with their Kardia, PM me and we'll sort it out.

[Vonnieruth in reply to momist]

Mines Huawei p smart phone

[momist in reply to Vonnieruth]

Given that a mobile phone's primary purpose is to speak to others, it always amazes me that the reviews NEVER mention the sound or the microphone. However, I would expect that with Android 8 and it being a modern phone, it should work OK with the Kardia. There are no guarantees though . . .

The Kardia app on my phone had an update only a couple of days ago, or was that yesterday? Oreo (A8) has been out for a while now, so I expect that the app will be compatible.

Some phones work better with the Kardia with the NFC and/or the Bluetooth turned off. The easiest way to get a clean signal, other than sitting very still, is to put the phone in 'airplane mode' (sic).

[doodle68 in reply to Lotty321]

Hi Lotty see my reply above to Vonny ...

this is the official compatability list...

alivecor.zendesk.com/hc/en-...

I don't have an iphone just a simple mobile so purchased an ipad which I am finding invaluable now .

[mjames1]

Two versions of the Kardia. Kardia Mobile and Kardia Band. Kardia Band requires an Apple Watch and costs a hundred dollars more. Both have the same basic software but Kardia Band has something called Smart Rhythm which has some value not quite as smart as the promo says. I like Kardia Band for the convenience factor as all you have to do is put your thumb on the watch band and an ekg is generated in 30 seconds. Kardia Mobile is also convenient and some people attach it to the back of their phones so they don't have to take it out of their pocket before use. One downside of Kardia Band is that the ten dollar a month premium service is required. If you're doing a lot of ekg's the premium service is a great way to keep them stored and organized. if you're just doing one here and there, it's really not necessary as you can email the ekg to yourself. Kardia also has a paid analysis service, at least in the U.S., where you can email the ekg to a tech or board certified cardiologist for a fee. This is very convenient if you want an analysis say on a weekend or just as a second opinion. That said, the fees can add up if you use it a lot.

Jim