A new tool in diagnosing cardiac arrhythmia

[snoop1130]

A new tool in diagnosing cardiac arrhythmia

By The Nation

 

 

Bumrungrad International Hospital has announced the launch of “CardioInsight” – an innovative new noninvasive technology for the diagnosis of cardiac arrhythmia – making it the first hospital in Asia, to implement this technology.

 

The use of CardioInsight will help steer Bumrungrad International Hospital’s Arrhythmia Centre toward its goal of being a leading hub for cardiac arrhythmia research and treatment, fully equipped with the latest technology and staffed by a team of world-class, highly experienced specialists.

 

Dr Koonlawee Nademanee, director of the Pacific Rim Electrophysiology Research Institute in Los Angeles, and Cardiothoracic Physiologist at the Arrhythmia Center, Bumrungrad International, says that the CardioInsight is a promising new non-invasive ECG based technology to identify the mechanism and origin of a cardiac arrhythmia.

 

Bumrungrad is the one of the first three hospitals worldwide to have implemented this technology, the other two being the University Hospital of Bordeaux and Hammersmith Hospital in the UK.

 

CardioInsight’s founding and leadership team, Charu Ramanathan and Ryan Bokan turned out at the recent press conference at the Bumrungrad International Hospital and explained that the technology offered a unique and world-class opportunity to help patients as well as perform transformational research in the treatment of difficult cardiac arrhythmias. The collaboration has started off at a strong pace under the leadership of Dr Koonlawee, a world expert in the treatment of these complex arrhythmias, with 50 patients treated already. The CardioInsight team was confident that the outcome of the Bumrungrad collaboration will have a major impact in the understanding and treatment of cardiac arrhythmia, and be able to build a new foundation of knowledge in this field for the worldwide medical community.

 

Cardiac arrhythmia is considered a “silent danger” which can cause permanent damage to the heart – or even lead to death. Symptoms may only occur intermittently, but some people may have some observable symptoms, such as light-headedness, fainting, palpitations, shortness of breath, feeling tight-chested, and loss of consciousness.

 

Many patients may not present any symptoms while visiting the doctor for a diagnosis, and therefore, do not receive treatment. Thus, the ability to pinpoint the cause of an abnormality with a precise diagnosis is even more important, as is the ability to deliver accurate and effective treatments. All of these factors rely on the experience of the physicians, together with the modern technology at their disposal.

 

The CardioInsight system uses a vest embedded with electrodes which detect electrical signals from the heart at 252 points across the chest. This system combines the data with heart anatomy from a CT scan and produces patient-specific 3D images of the electrical rhythm of the heart for each heartbeat and where the abnormalities are occurring.

 

The most important aspect of CardioInsight is that it is completely non-invasive and no tools or equipment are required to be inserted into a patient’s body, and the results also supplement invasive procedures, such as heart surgery, making it easier to reach specific points. 

 

Dr Koonlawee says that in addition to the effective treatment technologies available today, another success factor in arrhythmia treatment relies on the equally high level of experience of the physicians and specialist teams. “This tool helps us to learn more, and understand the disease more, both of which allow us to give patients the best diagnoses and the most suitable treatments.”

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/life/living_health/30318721

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-6-21

[NancyL]

This would seem to be a very fancy version of a Holter monitor.  Could Sheryl or someone knowledgeable discuss why the device presented in this article would be needed.  Are there cases where a Holter monitor doesn't provide enough diagnostic information?  

 

I'm wondering because I've had friends with unexplained symptoms that seem like it could be heart arrhythmia, yet they "pass" a 24 hour Holter monitor screening just fine.  

[Sheryl]

Yes, it is like a Holter but with the addition of generating images of the interior of the heart which may help identify exactly where any abnormal impulses are coming from. This might be advantagous if for example cardiac ablation is being considered.

 

I don't think, form the description, that it wouls be likely to pick up arrythmias that a regular Holter did not.

 

If your friend's symptoms are off and on and did not occur during the time the Holter was on, might be worth doing a 3 day one instead. If they were symptomatic while the monitor was on and it showed no arrythmia then likely not due to an arrythmia.

[NancyL]

Thanks for the explanation, Sheryl.  I cringe at the thought of a three-day Holter test.  I've done the 24 hour test a couple times myself and that's long enough without a shower here in Thailand.  It probably doesn't help that I make a point of having a good work-out session when I'm wearing it.  Something I try to do three times a week, and figure it's a good idea to do when I'm in a Holter.  But it's no fun not to be able to shower afterwards and have to return to the cardiologist the next morning stinking.

 

Yes, I think my friend who has times when he feels light-headed and dizzy doesn't experience it every day.  Definitely worth mentioning to him.

[Sheryl]

If it is light-headness/dizziness could also have a neurological cause. Or be an inner ear problem.

 

First make sure that he experienced this while the holter was one, as if he had no episode when it was on the fact that the holter was negative doesn't mean anything.