Anybody ever had a cardio call device for a week?

I had an appointment last week to pick one up for 7 days. Typically, my heart activity has calmed down over the past 10 days but even when it rears its head again, this device makes it practically impossible to catch.

For those that aren't aware, it's an older device that takes 20-30 second readings, and when you've finished you have to dial a number and hold the device to the mouthpiece. It sounds like an old school modem when it's sending the reading. But the whole process takes so long that I'm missing any useful/important activity a) because it only records 30 seconds and b) my first instinct isn't to grab the device whenever my heart starts playing up.

I'm thinking I'll just have to put this down to a wasted appointment and look at another echo or CT scan in the future. I had a worrying moment this morning when my heart felt like somebody had squeezed it, but before I could attach the recording device and press 'record' it had passed and my heart just went back to pounding.

I've been having many of these concerning periods, particularly at night (breathlessness, pounding heart some nights, weak heart beat other nights, arrhythmias, etc.) but I've been unable to catch any with the cardio call so far.

Anyway, just wondered whether anybody on here found the Cardio Call useful in further diagnosis or catching troublesome ectopics, etc?

I have used this type of device before. One had wires and the other didn't. This type of device is only going to give a basic reading. They make better ones. I wore one that had 5 leads years ago as well.

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DavrosT
Anyway, just wondered whether anybody on here found the Cardio Call useful in further diagnosis or catching troublesome ectopics, etc?

I had a similar device (I think they called it an event recorder) at the beginning of my afib journey, 16+ years ago. My recollection is a) you wore the device all the time, b) it was always recording in a loop and when you pressed the button, it would save 30 or so seconds of data from before the push and perhaps another 30 or seconds after. Yes, I'd then have to call the data in with a phone handset transmitting modem sounds.

It was useful as I wasn't sure I had afib. I had an event and went to the ER, but they never got a copy of the ECG. They could see there was arrhythmia, but didn't have a hard copy to figure it out. The event recorder allowed them to diagnose afib.

You're describing an old school event monitor. Even the ones made 10 years ago didn't require you to do anything to catch the arrhythmia, nor did you have to hold them to a phone, so what you have is kind of ancient.

There are many newer, much better monitoring devices that work entirely automatically and transmit their results by cell phone automatically. You just wear it and it will record and report any abnormal events. They're also much, much smaller, some of them being nothing more than a patch you wear on your chest. Ask your doc for something made this decade.

Thanks for your responses, all.

Yeah, I Googled the devices earlier George and I noticed that traditional versions have the thing wired up to your chest, so as you said, you catch periods of activity by pressing record but it was always recording anyway.

The one they gave me has a slot for a couple of wires but I wasn't given anything but the cardio memo and been told to pop it on my chest if I feel symptoms and press record. It's so difficult to catch anything worthwhile as my heart activity is concerning, albeit sporadic. Comes and goes in short bursts then it's back to 'normal'.

I will definitely do that Carey, I think it's the least they can do after all the delays. I'm 3.5 years post ablation now but I get the feeling they think I should just be content to not be in afib anymore. There's still that pesky QOL issue that regularly gets ignored.