CardioComm Solutions has announced that the HeartCheck ECG Monitor was used to screen patients for atrial fibrillation at a screening event conducted in Toronto on March 31, 2012. The event was a part of the annual heart symposium conducted by the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s Chinese Canadian Council.
The event, titled "All About a Woman's Heart" witnessed the screening of 1,300 people for detection of atrial fibrillation using electrocardiogram readings. Earlier screening events employed pulse-detection to detect rapid and irregular heartbeat, which is attributed as a risk factor for stroke. The use of the CardioComm ECG monitor will be view the ECG waveform for the conclusive identification of cardiac arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation.
The Chief Operating Officer of Ontario Heart and Stroke Foundation, Tom McAllister stated that stroke and heart disease is attributed as the number one cause of death in women. McAllister also added that cardiovascular disease claims the life of more Canadian women than all the forms of cancer claim together.
The Chief Executive Officer of CardioComm, Etienne Grima stated that the decision of the Foundation to use the HeartCheck ECG screening tool instead of simple pulse monitoring is vital in helping patients determine if they have any other form of arrhythmia or atrial fibrillation. The wrist-pulse monitoring requires highly trained care providers since differentiating between an irregular and rapid heart rate is very difficult. The ECG signal helps physicians determine the morphology of the recording and provides a clear picture of the heart rate and enables on-the-spot diagnosis of a patient with atrial fibrillation.
The HeartCheck ECG Monitor is a FDA-cleared, portable device that detects arrhythmias in patients at high risk for atrial fibrillation, heart attack, coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, heart valve disease, congenital heart defects and heart failure. The other HeartCheck solutions offered by CardioComm include the compact HeartCheck Pen Handheld ECG device and the HeartCheck SMART Monitoring.