Implanted Loop Recorder - info required.

[MoyB]

A few weeks ago I had an ILR and came home with a 'zapper' to use when I feel symptoms and a thing like a telephone to use once a week to download the information to the hospital team.

Since my discharge, I have found it more and more difficult to remember to have the zapper nearby. It's got a hole in it so you can put it on a chain or whatever you want to attach it to, but it's quite large to have hanging around your neck or put in a pocket without fear of losing it.

My question is, if I don't have the zapper with me (like yesterday when I was out for most of the day and had left it at home) is the loop recorder still recording? Will it still show up the rhythm disturbances even if I haven't 'zapped' to highlight that they're happening?

I feel sure that it does work all the time, with or without the zapper, and I suppose if I zap, it highlights it for the team and they can see if the symptoms I feel are heart related.

I'm sure they told me about this straight after having it implanted, but I don't remember it all. I expected to have some written info, and I have instructions on how to use it, but not what happens in between zaps.

For anyone who doesn't know, the zapper (my name for it) is a thing you hold over your heart when you have symptoms. It lights up when it's recording, which is only for quite a short time. The telephone thing has another bit to hold over your heart once a week and when this connects, it also lights up and I was told it would download the information from the loop recorder.

If anyone can clarify the workings of this wonderful bit of equipment, I'd be very grateful. I don't really want to bother the cardiac team with it.

xx Moy

[pip_pip]

As far as I remember, the reveal device is recording all the time. If you have any symptoms the trick is to send the data via the 'zapper' over to the clinic where they are waiting for you. You should have some mechanical box which plugs into the telephone socket, preset to the clinic number and any info is sent steaight to the databanks. I can't remember however how the 'zapper' records the details. These devices are very important to enable them to check your condition of AF from afar.If in doubt contact the technician, I'm sure you must have been given full details for communication. I was

phil

[MoyB in reply to pip_pip]

Unfortunately, the info I was given just tells me how to use it. It doesn't explain exactly how it works. That was given verbally, quite quickly and while I was about to be taken out of the cath lab.It didn't occur to me to question anything as I was told the information was all in the box.

Thank you for your reply to my post. I think what you say fits with what I thought was the case.

Xx Moy

[Fazerboy]

Hi, I had one. I put the zapper on my keyring.

If it is like mine the recorder records 8 minutes worth continually overwriting earlier info. If you press the zapper it stores something like 2 minutes before you pressed it up to 6 minutes after you pressed it. It saves this 8 minutes worth. When you get home you transfer it to your bedside box (like a mobile phone thing). When you put the box back on its base it sends the data to the cardiology team. I used to then phone them to tell them I'd sent a recording. I think your recorder can store 3 lots of 8 minutes if needed.

Now if you don't use the zapper, your recorder has been set to automatically save info in certain circumstances. Mine was set to a heart rate below about 30 or above 165 for say 10 seconds or more. Hopefully this doesn't happen very often. At night the box by the bed checks in with the loop recorder to see if it has saved anything. If it has it sends it to the cardiology team. I had an instance where my team phoned me to ask if I was ok and was I aware that my recorder had sent info. I didn't even know. Apparently my hr had dropped below 30 in my sleep. They didn't say this but said it was low. I know what mine was set at.

If you are in any doubt just phone the cardiology team, mine were always very helpful.

My recorder confirmed I had svt. I then had an ablation. No more svt. My recorder has now been taken out. The battery only lasts about 3 years.

[MoyB in reply to Fazerboy]

That's really helpful. Thank you. I have been told to send the info once a week on the machine that looks like a phone. I was told, 'If you miss it one week don't worry.' The written information also says, 'Once a week.'

I have now found a chain the right length for the zapper. It goes under my clothes and isn't visible so now keep it on from the time I get up until I go to bed.

If I get into the habit now of wearing it every day, I shouldn't need to worry about whether it is still recording even if it's left at home.

I didn't know they could be set to record certain events. I don't know what mine is set at. Maybe I can find out from the cardio team.

Thanks again for your helpful reply. I'm glad your recorder picked up something that could be put right and hope you continue to feel well.

Xx Moy

[Fazerboy in reply to MoyB]

Hi, sounds good. I don’t understand why they are telling you to send the info once a week. I never did this. My phone type box by my bed (it had to be about 3m or less from my bed) automatically checked my loop recorder and sent any info to the team.

Because it was thought I had svt I was told that if I thought my hr was out of the ordinary at any time then I should use the zapper to record it. I then downloaded it and sent it later myself. I think it would have gone automatically at the next bedtime check anyway.

I’d ask when you speak to the team next. It seems a bit of a faff having to send it weekly if it does it automatically.

[MoyB in reply to Fazerboy]

The written info definitely confirms I'm to send it weekly. I wonder if they're all the same?Xx Moy

[Fazerboy in reply to MoyB]

OK. Mine was a Medtronic Reveal Insertable Cardiac Monitor.

[Tigger_2]

A loop recorder is what it says.

It's like a continuous loop on a tape recorder, recording over and over on the same tape and over-writing old data with new.

It records data for a fixed amount of time then so as not to fill up the memory, it ditches the old data as new data comes in. Sometimes called First In, First Out.

If something unusual comes in, it should automatically record and store the data.

I'm guessing but the "zapper" or remote allows the user to do the same thing manually and if you feel something unusual, you can initiate the permanent record

[Fazerboy in reply to Tigger_2]

Spot on. If you feel palpitations or similar you click the zapper to make sure it saves an 8 minute session. You hold the zapper by your chest when you press it.