Comprehensive Cardiovascular Assessment in Critical Patients: The Predictive Role of a Smartphone-based 12-Lead ECG Device

Abstract

Background: With the increasing prevalence of cardiovascular diseases, there is a growing need for innovative and easily accessible cardiac monitoring tools. This study evaluates the predictive capability of Spandan, a smartphone-based 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) device, for assessing cardiovascular abnormalities in critically ill ICU patients at a tertiary care hospital in Uttarakhand. Methods: A cohort of 203 critically ill patients was actively enrolled in the study. Utilizing the Spandan smartphone-based ECG device, comprehensive 12-lead ECG recordings were obtained from each participant. These recordings underwent comparative analysis against the Gold Standard ECG, with diagnoses provided by cardiologists. The study aimed to assess the operational feasibility and accuracy of Spandan in identifying cardiovascular abnormalities within this high-risk population. Result: Initial findings reveal a significant alignment between the ECG recordings obtained via Spandan and the gold standard ECG, corroborating the diagnoses provided by cardiologists. The smartphone-based ECG device demonstrates promising outcomes in detecting various cardiovascular abnormalities in critical patients, including arrhythmias, ischemic changes, and conduction abnormalities. Notably, Spandan exhibits a specificity of 70%, surpassing the Gold Standard's 42%. This suggests Spandan's advantageous capability in accurately identifying true negative cases, thereby offering a higher specificity. Conclusion: The Spandan 12-lead ECG device shows promise as a valuable tool for comprehensive cardiovascular assessment in critically ill patients. Its operational feasibility and precision in identifying cardiovascular abnormalities highlight its potential to facilitate prompt diagnosis and management in this vulnerable demographic. Further extensive research and larger-scale trials are warranted to validate these initial findings and confirm the broad applicability of smartphone-based ECG devices in critical care settings.