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A study conducted at Scripps Health has found that a novel newheart monitoring device helped emergency room patients avoidunnecessary follow-up care. Scripps Health electrophysiologistSteven Higgins, MD, presented findings of the study titled,"Prevalence of Arrhythmias in Emergency Department PatientsDischarged Using a Novel Ambulatory Cardiac Monitor",at the HeartRhythm Society's 33rd Annual Scientific Sessions in Boston. The study focused on the use of Zio® Patch, a single-useambulatory cardiac monitor that looks similar to a 2- by 5-inchadhesive bandage and sticks to a patient's chest, that continuouslymonitors their heart rhythm for up to 14 days. "The availability of this new heart monitor is exciting as itimproves patient care. The patch is applied and when recording isdone, the patient simply drops it in the envelope and returns it tous - it's like the Netflix of heart care," said Dr. Higgins,chairman of the department of cardiology at Scripps MemorialHospital La Jolla and a lead investigator. "Because they areinfrequent, heart rhythm problems are often difficult to diagnose,even though they can be quite serious. The Zio Patch is a newdigital advance that will allow us to better diagnose challengingcases so we can provide our patients the best care." Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla was the only hospital inSouthern California to participate in the study. Other studylocations included Stanford Hospital and Scott & White MemorialHospital in Temple, Texas. The study followed 285 patients who had presented to emergencydepartments across the country with symptoms possibly related to arrhythmias , such as fainting, palpitations, dizziness and others. Patientsreceived the unencumbering, wire-free Zio Patch prior to beingdischarged from the emergency room and were instructed to wear thepatch until it no longer adhered to their skin - up to 14 daysduration. Devices were mailed back to iRhythm Technologies, Inc.,the Zio Patch's developer and service provider, using a pre-paidpostage envelope, for analysis and reporting of results to thepatient's physician. The researchers found that 59 percent of the symptomatic patientswho presented to the emergency rooms did not have arrhythmia andmay not require any further work-up. "Thus, the new device has thepotential to save the health care system millions of dollars," saidHiggins. "We were also surprised to learn that there was 100percent compliance by the patient with the process, which is anamazing finding for an emergency department study." Monitoring Leads to Possible Lifesaving Procedure One patient who benefited from the Zio Patch is La Jolla resident,Kenneth Curzon, who fainted while at work in March. Curzoncontinuously wore the Zio Patch for two weeks and then mailed itback to iRhythm, where the information was downloaded and formattedinto a report for Dr. Higgins to review. The recording showed Curzon was experiencing prolonged pauses inhis heart rhythm of over three seconds as well as other episodes ofrapid heart beats. On April 6, he received an implantable cardiacdefibrillator to correct the problem and was back to his managementjob within five days. "The Zio Patch allowed me to diagnose and determine the mostappropriate therapy for Ken," said Higgins. I like to think of the whole experience as an adventure," Curzonsaid. "Most of the time I didn't even realize I was wearing a heartmonitor, and when I peeled it off, I just put it in an envelope andsent it off in the mail. It was a very simple process." Zio Patch vs. Holter monitor In addition, Dr. Eric Topol is leading a new related study atScripps Green Hospital examining whether the Zio Patch does abetter job of detecting heart arrhythmias than the Holter monitor,which has been the gold standard for rhythm monitoring since theearly 1960s. The portable Holter monitor collects its data through a series ofwired electrodes that adhere to the chest. Because the device canbe difficult to wear and can get in the way of normal activitiessuch as showering, exercising and sleeping, continuous use of themonitor is typically limited to one or two days. In contrast, theZio Patch is a small, unobtrusive device that is indicated for upto 14 days of wear, and allows the patient to exercise and showeron their normal schedule, without the hassle of a bulky monitor andmultiple wires. "This is a great opportunity to compare these two side by side foruse in diagnosing important heart rhythm disturbances," said Dr.Topol, a cardiologist who directs the Scripps Translational ScienceInstitute and serves as Chief Academic Officer of Scripps Health."We are trying to determine if the Zio Patch will have an increaseddiagnostic yield." The study is currently enrolling about 150 Scripps Green andScripps Clinic adult patients who have been seen by their doctorsfor arrhythmia. Each of the participants will wear a Holter monitorand a Patch for up to 48 hours and then continue wearing the ZioPatch for up to 14 days. More information about the study isavailable.* Dr. Topol and his research associates will compare the datagathered from each device and report their findings later thisyear. Arrhythmias affect millions of Americans each year and, if leftuntreated, may lead to serious consequences including stroke or sudden cardiac death. Additional References Citations. 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