Attachment sensor alerts clinicians to complications of heart failure

A study published in American College found that heart failure patients were less likely to develop heart failure complications within 90 days if they wore stick-on sensors that alerted clinicians to fluid accumulation in their lungs. 38% less likely to be readmitted to Cardiology Annual Scientific Sessions and World Congress of Cardiology.

By remotely providing clinicians with actionable information about a patient’s condition, the device encourages clinicians to adjust medications early and prevent complications from worsening. Due to its easy attachment and detachment, this device has the potential to be a less invasive and cost-effective alternative to implantable sensors.

It is very exciting to see good results in the field of remote monitoring. Wearable technology is particularly encouraging as it can monitor patients during periods of high risk and stop monitoring after the period of high risk. “

John P. Boehmer, MD, Professor of Internal Medicine and Surgery, Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pennsylvania, and lead author of the study

Heart failure is a condition in which the heart is too weak or too hard to pump blood effectively throughout the body. It affects more than 6 million adults in the United States and is associated with high medical and economic costs due to frequent hospitalizations and premature death.

Patients with heart failure are usually advised to weigh daily and closely monitor for signs of swelling and other symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, and chest pain. Patients return to the hospital within months after being hospitalized for heart failure. This is often due to fluid buildup in the lungs. This study aimed to reduce readmissions by enabling patients and clinicians to monitor early signs of fluid accumulation and intervene before hospitalization is required.

The µCor (“microcor”) system uses radio frequency signals to assess the wearer’s thoracic fluid index (a measure of fluid in the lungs). It is attached to the left side of the chest with an adhesive patch and transmits data to the patient’s clinician. In this study, researchers enrolled 522 of her within 10 days of hospitalization for heart failure. All patients were fitted with her µCor monitor and worn continuously for 90 days.

Half of the patients were enrolled in the control group. These patients wore her µCor monitors, but information from the monitors was not transmitted to clinicians. This arm was the first to start, and investigators used data from this group to establish a threshold to distinguish between normal and elevated pleural effusion levels. Patients enrolled in the intervention arm wore monitors and data were sent to the attending clinician with action alerts if pleural effusion levels exceeded set thresholds.

Patients whose pleural effusion was monitored by clinicians using the µCor system were 38% less likely to be hospitalized for heart failure within 90 days compared to patients whose clinicians did not receive this information (study primary endpoint). He was also 38% less likely to experience a composite endpoint that included a heart failure-related emergency room visit, hospitalization, or death.

“The challenge for telemonitoring studies is getting clinicians to react to the data,” said Boehmer. “Our temptation is to look at the data, but to manage patients as we have always managed them. As a result, we have seen interventions that are effective.”

Common interventions to address evidence of fluid accumulation include prescribing diuretics to reduce fluid retention and increasing the patient’s dose of other heart failure medications. Because the µCor system provides information about changes in the lungs before symptoms such as swelling appear, researchers believe the device could encourage clinicians to take such measures early and prevent worsening complications. He says he can.

Several existing devices are available to monitor for signs of heart failure complications. These include an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) and an insertable loop recorder that monitors abnormal heart rhythms that often coexist with heart failure, and a shoulder-mounted ReDS system that monitors lung fluid. will be Boehmer says µCor offers a less invasive alternative to implantable devices and a more convenient alternative to his bulky ReDS device. It can also be used intermittently to monitor patients only during high-risk periods, such as after hospitalization. This avoids overburdening clinical staff with unnecessary data and allows resources to be focused on patients who can benefit most from close monitoring.

Boehmer said the study was not moderately sized and randomized. Large randomized trials help confirm findings. In addition to measuring pleural fluid, researchers can incorporate additional data collected by the µCor device, such as heart rate and respiratory rate, into the data provided to clinicians to create a more comprehensive picture of the patient’s condition. I plan to research how to provide it. The device could also be useful for monitoring patients with lung disease in addition to heart failure, researchers say.

This research was funded by Zoll Medical Corporation, developer of the μCor system.