Like most, if not all, people here who have an Alivecor Kardia Mobile device, I am not trained to analyse ECG traces but I have seen several of my own recorded on multi-lead instruments, have researched the basics on the internet and have read the ‘primers’ supplied by Alivecor. While the device certainly has its uses, it also has limitations.
I am in the recovery phase after having an ablation back in June. I have recently stopped taking Amiodarone but am still taking Bisoprolol and Ramipril, which obviously both affect my heart function to some extent. My Kardia traces occasionally record ectopics and various anomalous pertubations but I’m now left not knowing how much of this is normal for a) a healthy person, b) someone still recovering from an ablation and c) someone still on rate and B.P. control medications (plus the traces of Amiodarone which will take a while to leave my body). It’s one thing being able to identify a trace that is clearly abnormal but something else to identify what is considered normal (under the circumstances).
Written by
IanMK
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My only commebt would be go by how you feel rather than worry about checking such things. There are bound to be some anomalies and do remember that any and all treatment for AF is only ever about improving quality of life.
Personally, I’m not too concerned, Bob, and I’m content to wait to raise it with my EP when I see him next in January. I know that he would say now that I’m still recovering. I’m more interested to know to what extent my trace can deviate from ‘the ideal’ once I’m back on the straight & narrow.
I know, though, how anxious some people can become with their arrhythmias so I see this as a potential problem. For these people it may be best for them to leave their Kardia in their garden shed after their ablation too 🙂.
I’m with BobD on this one. Since my second ablation back early August, I have felt fine with very minor occasional ectopics and the odd, very short but fast run of beats. Occasionally, I have carried out Kardia checks and once or twice is has recorded as “unclassified” and I have noticed the P wave isn’t as prominent as it used to be, but sod it, I feel tickitiboo, so it’s shoved back in the drawer where it will stay for a rainy day!
I have to agree with you on this one - I’ve weaned myself off all my self monitoring except my Fitbit for heart rate - I think we all know the feeling when our heart is out of sync - we all get the extra beat from time to time. So relax and enjoy your recovery!!!
I have used my Kardia on all my family and the only person who has a 'classic' trace is my husband. Mine is downright weird. I would say as long as you have a QRS and a P wave, any shape, you can't expect much more of a Kardia.
Indeed but it was my Cardiologist who recommended it and I used it both pre and post ablation and Cardioversion and it simply shows the basics. It can never be a substitute for a proper ECG but merely a guidance tool that subjectively some people like to have and use and some would rather “leave to the snails”
When I was at my EP’s office on Tuesday he asked me to show him my reading from that morning. The next day I had a half hour episode of 140bpm tachycardia, within a 5 hour AF episode, and emailed him through the Kardia tachycardia reading. I must admit I was very impressed when 7 minutes later he emailed me back with instructions about meds.
I think the Kardia devise gives wrong readings more or less often. It can create unnecessary worries and doctor visits. When I had AF episode years ago I always knew by
feeling the pulse ( wrist or throat ). I assume the Kardia is more recommended for people who are unable to check their pulse?
I have persistent AFL for a year now ( asymptomatic because 1:4 AV node block ) and
the Kardia is really useless to show the p waves because its one lead only. When I put
the sensor on my knee and finger I get a better reading. But often not. Knee and finger
Hidden 1 lead is I suppose correct, as the 'other' lead is used as a return. A 12 lead ECG needs 13 wires. As for the pulse, NO. The Kardia detects the electrical activity of the heart (filtering that out from all the other electrical activity going on in your body). The problem with AF is that not all beats generate a pulse, as the beat often comes at the wrong time, when the heart has not primed enough to generate a pulse of blood pressure that will travel to your wrist or wherever.
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