AFIB results diifer between Samsung phone & LR and Kardia

[knoll]

I am asymptomatic. I have a LR. After being persistant for 5 weeks last year, I had a PF Ablation in April 2024. After 10 months of no epidsodes, I started to have episodes and was advised to take flecainide(100mg) after testing for AFIB on my Kardai and/or Samsung phone. I have told the Dr that the Kardia and the phone do not agree with my LR. The Dr. told me to stick to one of the devices, test every morning, and if in AFIB, take a Flecainide. So I tested every morning on my phone and took Flecainide as directed. I received my LR report for the month, and again there were descrepancies with the phone showing more episodes than the LR. My Dr says the LR is more accurate than the phone. Any thoughts?

[mjames1]

In all due respect to your doctor, if the Kardia EKG shows atrial fibrillation than you are in atrial fibrillation, and if the LR (loop recorder) missed it, then it missed it.

To be clear I'm not talking about Kardia's interpretation which sometimes can be wrong. I'm talking about the EKG iself that the Kardia generated.

Did your doctor ask to look at the Kardia EKG that said atrial fibrillation, when the LR didn't. If not, then he isn't doing his job.

Is your doctor an electrophysiologist (ep) or just a general cardiologist or GP? When it comes to EKGs, you should only be talking to an ep.

Jim

[momist in reply to mjames1]

I have to agree with Jim on this. I certainly would not trust the phone and although I know nothing of loop recorders, if it can miss an event then I would not trust that either. Remember that the Kardia is looking ONLY at the electrical activity coming from the heart muscle, not the resulting variation in blood pressure or skin colour or anything else. If the EKG shows a long stretch of variable interval between beats, then you have AF. If it's only a few occasionally, then it is not, and is likely to be just ectopic beats. I am not a medical expert, but I trust the electronics of the Kardia (but not the Kardia auto interpretation).

[bean_counter27 in reply to momist]

"If the EKG shows a long stretch of variable interval between beats, then you have AF."

Aren't other characteristics needed to determine whether AF e.g. no discernible p-wave? Otherwise how do you rule out other types of arrythmia?

[Buffafly]

What app are you using on your phone? I would use the Kardia although it can sometimes confuse frequent ectopics with AF. As many people take Flecainide every day if they have frequent episodes I guess it doesn’t matter too much if you take a couple too many.

[2learn]

Hi, don't know what LR means, tried google but couldn't find a definition, is it a phrase used in USA

[Dodie117 in reply to 2learn]

See mjames above Loop Recorder

[2learn in reply to Dodie117]

never heard of them and 10yrs with AF what do they do?

[Dodie117 in reply to 2learn]

from BHF website:

An implantable loop recorder (or ILR) is a small device that's put under the skin, usually in your chest. It records your heart rhythm for up to 4.5 years to find out how your heart is working.