3 Year Implantable Cardiac Monitor
In Portugal, doctors implant a small device under the skin which monitors cardiac patients for three years. An implantable cardiac monitor (ICM) or cardiac monitor was first tested in 1997 but is now much smaller and smarter in technology.
An ICM is used for cardiac patients with complicated arrhythmias and/ or symptoms such as palpitations, dizziness, syncope, or light headedness. The ICM device is helpful for improving diagnosis where traditional ambulatory ECG methods are unable to reliably find transient abnormalities.
The ICM device is painlessly inserted under the skin on an outpatient basis. The procedure takes 10-15 minutes. The system allows clinicians to access ECG information for a period of up to 3 years. The abnormal ECG information is captured whether the patient felt the symptom or not.
This technology may be used to assess unexplained symptoms and stroke.
