I posted about having lots of SVEs and PVCs in the last couple of days, confirmed on Kardia. While I have been sat here moping - š - I have realised that a couple of weeks ago I started using my Kardia holding one of the sensors just above my knee. This is shown in the original instructions as an alternative way of using the device ( the older version, not the 6L ). It is during this time that Kardia stopped picking up Afib, and I felt fine too ) I enjoyed a week of NSR ! As I said in my previous post, thd last couple of days I have had multiple PVCs and PVEs, all picked up this way of holding the Kardia device. Whilst checking this morning, I reverted to holding the device on the back of my mobile with two fingers on each pad sensor. It indicated Afib. So for several checks following this, one immediately after thd other, I got readings of Afib when using my fingers and the device on my phone, and PVCs and PVEs when I held it on my knee, alternately. So now I am worrying that the Kardia might have been giving me the wrong readings during the past week and if I had held the device differently if would have shown Afib !
If there is anyone who had the time and patience to read all this, I would greatly appreciate your thoughts !
Annie.
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Tellingfibs
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I should add my wife holds the phone to take the reading about 6 ft away. I have been having unclassified results recently - just tested positive for Covid and have not recorded Af once since diagnosis on Wednesday pm. amazing since my AF was persistent and diagnosis and now permanent. don't know whether to be happy or not. I may have to organise an appointment with cardio nurses or GP once Ive got rid of this Covid.
I went through a spate of Unclassifieds. They stopped when I used the device on my knee - but you have to hold the phone near. I am just beginning to think it may be more accurate - however, even using that system, I am still plagued by near constant mild palpitations š³
Kardia eventually recorded AF today - or possible AF as it says. My wife was getting worried as if it had gone what was there in it's place? My BP monitor also shows whether or not I have AF and taking BP on the day we tested positive made me go to Kardia - usually check on Sunday mornings every week and so since Wednesday it hasn't show AF. I wish I could have enjoyed my few days out of AF but I was poorly.
My wife usually has BP around 135 or 137 over 80 (ish) but since testing positive has had brilliant 120 readings. It doesn't make much sense as I though Covid would make us worse rather than a little better.
Always use Kardia on knee. This morning for the first time I used it on my right knee where I have a scar from total knee replacement and it didn't like that at all.
A lot of heart things remain a mystery to me and itās this forum that helps with that. I read that the knee has to be the left knee and the device held in the right hand. It seems Covid has thrown up some mysteries too ! I hope you and your wife are recovering well.
There were some posts on this subject a couple of years ago. Search for putting kardia sensor above knee. They said the skin shouldn't be too dry and the arm muscles must be relaxed. Also try using the 2 finger method with the phone farther away. If you have an older model Kardia, that registers fewer arrhythmias, that would tell you whether you're in afib. Failing that, you could bring your Kardia to a medical office and compare it to the ekg there. (I just have the older model with the simple 2 finger sensor.)
I do have the older Kardia, and pay for the advanced determination. Yes, I find that it always works better with damp pads, as is often mentioned on this forum. I was mainly worried that all my palpitations picked up via the knee method were in fact Afib - or maybe the Afib picked up with the finger method might have just been palpitations. I doubt Kardia would get things so wrong though. But whatever, it seems I am having a lot of SOMETHING ! Thanks for responding.
My single lead device is just one simple flat bar and my separate tablet has the app and only says, accurately, "possible afib" or "normal sinus rhythm" (or bradycardia or tachycardia or electrical interference). My ex-husband had asymptomatic persistent atrial flutter after a mostly successful ablation and when I took him for a cardioversion, once he was back in sinus rhythm, his expert cardiologist told him to get this older simpler model, not the fancier one to detect afib. I don't get how you have a choice where to put the electrodes.
By the way, it was interesting to see atrial flutter on the ecg- its a fast rhythm that looks like afib (to my layman's eyes) but you can see some scattered tiny atrial peaks in the ecg, enough that some docs thought it was sinus tachycardia, but the expert knew better. Apparently the Kardia calls atrial flutter afib.
I am hopeless at reading any ecg - you are smart to be able to differentiate between Afib and Flutter, as are many people on this forum. I just have to accept what Kardia tells me !
From User manual for Kardia mobile, available online
" For a Lead II ECG, the left knee should contact the electrode closer to the top of the smartphone or tablet and the right hand should contact the electrode closer to the bottom of the smartphone or tablet. ļ· For an Anterior Precordial Lead, the device can be placed on the lower left side of the chest, just below the pectoral muscle. The bottom of the smartphone or tablet should be pointing towards the center of the body. "
you hold the device with your right index and middle fingers with the silver pads facing down, and you place the silver pad you are not holding on the skin above your left knee. You can see when you have a good connection when the three bars show green.
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