Kardia Machine

[Swimsyroke]

Can anyone advise on how to choose a Kardia machine to regularly monitor permanent atrial fibrillation. Also would I have to pay a monthly subscription.

[mjames1]

I've used all their models. The 6L is the most versatile and has the strongest signal so less interference, etc.

I suggest you sign up for the monthly service for a couple of months at least to see if it's useful to you. If you don't think you need it you can always cancel.

You should understand that none of the Kardia's do continuous monitoring. What they do are 30 or more second strips like at your doctors office.

Curious however since you're in permanent a fib what exactly is it that you are looking for?

Jim

[Swimsyroke in reply to mjames1]

I have been waiting a year to see a cardiologist. During that time I have gone from paroxysmal to permanent a fib with the PIP flecanaide taking longer and longer and eventually not working at all. Therefore I am presently trying to manage this new situation on my own and it is quite scary. My heart rate varies from being almost normal to missing lots of beats and other beats going twice as fast. Also a lot of the time I am finding it hard to find a pulse to check the number of beats. So I thought if I had a Kardia I could see what activities, food etc are making the a-fib worse to try and help myself.

[mjames1 in reply to Swimsyroke]

Makes sense and you will aldo be able to document things that you can then bring to your appointment.

Jim

[Swimsyroke in reply to mjames1]

Thanks mjames

[ETHEL103 in reply to Swimsyroke]

i was in the same position as yourself over lockdown.Various ecgs showed atrial flutter and tachicardia.When i had an ablation in may it showed atrial flutter.I have the cheaper kardia and it couldnt identify flutter and was always showing possible a fib.I also suffer with ectopics which i think thats why it kept showingba fib

Other peeps might advise you that the 6 lead

Kardia shows more.

[Jalia in reply to ETHEL103]

Its a bit strange this Ectopics/ Possible AF shown on the Kardia. I have masses of ectopics shown on my Kardia and when i was in A&E recently the doctor there was going through my Kardia readings and identified lots of AF on my ectopic readings. I think i must have a mixture though if it is AF it is nowhere near the level i was experiencing prior to my last ablation.

[mav7 in reply to Swimsyroke]

Before you invest in a Kardia, ask your GP to pescribe a holter monitor or other medical heart rate device to evaluate your heart continuously 24 hours a day for an extended period.

Results can also be used to prescribe proper medication. And you are taking an anticoagulant ?

Perhaps the GP could also advance your waiting time for a cardiologist. Not always good to try to manage situation on your own though I understand.

[Swimsyroke in reply to mav7]

Thanks for your comments. I had a holter monitor for 3 days last December and it showed beats of between 70 and 114 per minute with some narrow complex tachykardia? at 181 beats per minute which they commented was likely to be PAF. Also very infrequent multiform ventricular ectopics seen singularly and as a couplet and frequent supraventricular ectopics singularly and in short runs. Obviously they weren't worried about all of this as all they did was add bisopropol as a PIP to be taken one hour before the flecanaide. I have been on 30mg Edoxaban since February this year. However now the Flecanaide has stopped working I thought I would try and monitor my heart rate with a Kardia then if a consultants appointment still isnt forthcoming speak to my GP about taking bisopropol every day. Sorry to bore you all but I am on completely new territory now having always successfully treated my PAF with flecanaide.

[mav7 in reply to Swimsyroke]

Best to you I’m managing your health !

[Buffafly in reply to Swimsyroke]

It sounds as though you should be taking Flecainide and Bisoprolol daily instead of as a pip, not suggesting you should do that without medical advice of course but that seems to be the usual way to go when you need to take a pip frequently. However it may be that you missed the opportunity as you are now in persistent AF, I don’t take Flecainide or Bisoprolol so don’t know if they would be helpful. I would ask your GP to phone a cardiologist and ask if you can take your medication regularly - you already have a prescription for both so you don’t need a new one.

Your situation demonstrates how important it is for PAF patients to push for action aka bang on the desk when their symptoms change or progress because the longer you are in persistent the harder it gets to treat.

Best wishes ❤️‍🩹

[Swimsyroke in reply to Buffafly]

Thanks for that Buffafly. I guess I was thinking that flecanaide could now have become dangerous for me but what I will do is speak to my doctor and ask him to check my heart status and see if the consultant would advise this step. I have been in persistent afib for over 2 weeks now and never before (so far as I am aware). I will also check with my GP about a cardioversion though I've no idea how long the waiting list is for that. I have ordered the 6L Kardia so hopefully this will help to see what the heart is up to.

Thanks again

Swimsy

[Jalia]

I have the single lead Kardia. In fact this is my second model, i wore out the first one ! I get excellent signals and have never paid a monthly fee. However I'm a longstanding customer so have some benefits

[CDreamer]

I’ve had both models and would suggest the 6 lead, more difficult to take a trace but the benefit will be you will be giving your consultant a LOT more information for them to assess what your heart is actually doing.

Your choice to take up or not the added benefit of the monthly subscription for the enhanced features but just read through what you will get for the money and decide whether you would use them.

Like Julia, I’m long standing customer so also have added benefits but hardly ever need to use them but then I’m way along on my AF journey and with a Pacemaker, not much need these days. By the way Kardia does still work even with my PM, although they say it may not.

[Swimsyroke in reply to CDreamer]

Thanks CDreamer

[momist in reply to Swimsyroke]

Also, the 6L can be used as just a 2 lead machine if you wish, and is compatible with more mobile phones (especially high end more modern ones). No one needs to pay a monthly membership. Both the Kardia devices will send their recordings into a cloud storage you already (probably) have and will then be accessible to any other devices you own.

[Ppiman]

You will find this useful:

theskepticalcardiologist.co...

I think the Kardia is useful for detecting AF and for showing other heart arrhythmias. It's less useful at identifying these other things but you'll see them on the trace and can email a copy to your doctor. The 6L is not that much more expensive, so you might as well have it as it connects using Bluetooth, although the determination is carried out on the first lead to my knowledge, I pay for the advanced determinations but I truly doubt its value, myself.

Steve

[Mugsy15]

it's only terminology and doesn't really change much to point this out, but from what you've said you're in persistent AF rather than permanent, which is when it has been agreed between you and your consultant that you will remain in AF for life and no longer consider intervention of any kind.

I think this is why Jim asked what the point is in you monitoring it -there probably wouldn't be any of you were in permanent AF.

[Swimsyroke in reply to Mugsy15]

To be honest I don't know what I'm in. Things have just changed this year but I have yet to see a consultant since they started to go wrong last September. I am trying to manage on my own.

[Buffafly in reply to Swimsyroke]

The Kardia sounds like a good idea but you should not have to ‘manage on your own’ under those circumstances so hope you get a consultation soon. Also hope you are making a fuss ❤️‍🩹

[Ellie-Ann]

I got the simpler two lead version. Around £100. Does the job. I’m in permanent AF and I find it easy to use just to keep an eye on things. The bigger model is a lot more difficult to understand! I’m all for keeping things easy. Good luck.

[TracyAdmin Partner]

You will find details and a short-demo video available on our AF Association webpage heartrhythmalliance.org/afa....

You may choose to download our patient booklet 'Understanding ECG Monitors' for an overview of portable ECG devices heartrhythmalliance.org/afa...

booklet

[LaceyLady]

I’ve had the basic Kardia for a couple of years. My Consultant cardiologist thinks they’re the best since sliced bread and says I didn’t need to up grade to the 6lead be and in fact bought his FiL the same basic model. I’ve never subscribed to any plan, I can just email them to my consultant and myself to keep a record.

[Poochmom]

I bought the 6L model because a) it wasn’t that much more money and b) I was having what I wasn’t sure was AFib or ectopics of some kind. I was very pleased as it tells me not only ectopics but the detail of what kind they are. It was way worth it for me. I had the subscription for a while but found I never used it so cancelled.

[momist]

The main advantage of any Kardia is that it measures the electrical activity of the heart, not the pulse, and therefore can detect heart beats that are not actually pumping enough blood to make a pulse of pressure. This and the other surrounding electrical activity reveals the timing and character of the heart activity, much more information than a simple pulse count.

[Desanthony]

I chose the 6L as it was on offer at the time and almost as cheap as the 1L. I never paid for anything as I only wanted it so that I could take readings regularly to see any changes and also send results to my EP, Cardiologist and cardio nurses during Covid when I was only getting telephone consults - well we still are I suppose so glad I bought one.

[DawnTX]

I don’t know if you have it where you are but they have a new one out that looks like a credit card. You just put your thumbs on it. I am considering that one. I think it is 4.99 a month for monitoring and it is read by a cardiologist as well. I think that is worth it when I think of other things I pay five dollars for. If you go on their site they will show you the different machines.

[Ellie-Ann]

just get the two lead one. It will give you what you need to know and easier. I’ve got same and my twin brother. Very happy.

By the way, it took me almost two years to see a cardiologist. 😳

Good luck. Ellie Ann.