Watch for tachycardia

Abstract

BackgroundWearable devices capable of measuring health metrics are becoming increasingly prevalent. Most work has investigated the potential for these devices in the context of atrial fibrillation, our case highlights the potential of wearable devices across a wider range of arrhythmia.Case presentationA 51-year-old woman was referred to the cardiology clinic for an assessment of symptoms of intermittent exertional shortness of breath and palpitation. The patient was otherwise fit and well, took limited alcohol and no caffeine, and was a never smoker. There was no family history of heart disease. Physical examination in clinic was unremarkable, and a 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG), seven-day ambulatory ECG, exercise stress ECG, and trans-thoracic echocardiogram were all normal. During a severe episode the patient recorded an ECG using an Apple Watch (Apple Inc, California, USA). This was forwarded to the patient’s cardiologist, who suspected a broad complex tachycardia and organised an urgent follow-up appointment. A further 72-h Holter ECG monitor showed frequent sustained periods of monomorphic ventricular tachycardia, confirming the watch findings. The patient was started on beta blocker therapy with a rapid improvement in symptoms.ConclusionsCurrent smartwatch technology can reliably identify irregular rhythms and can distinguish atrial fibrillation from sinus rhythm, with emerging evidence supporting detection of other cardiovascular diseases, including medical emergencies. There may also be a role for wearable devices in screening young populations for predictors of sudden cardiac death. At present device outputs require clinician interpretation, but in the future patients may present to primary or secondary care with a firm diagnosis of arrhythmia and may already be making wearable device guided behaviour changes.