A unique patch may improve the heart abnormalities diagnosis

Zio patch applied to the chest can prevent stroke and heart attack by detecting an abnormal heartbeat. It is hard to identify the changes in heart rhythm that occur infrequently (1-2 times a week). According to The Daily Mail, Zio patch is approximately 8 times more effective than standard sensors that monitor the heartbeat.

The patch is waterproof and contains both electrodes and a recording module. The patch can be applied to the chest for 2 weeks continuously. This allows you to record dangerous changes in the rhythm. If a person has a strange feeling, he presses a button on the patch. The system records 45 seconds before and after a certain point in time, and highlights any rhythm disturbances in the subsequent analysis of the recording.

After two weeks of using, the patient can remove and send the patch back to a manufacturer. The manufacturer analyzes the data and prepares a report for the patient’s physician. In a study by King's College Hospital in London, 120 patients experienced stroke used the patch or a standard portable heart rate sensor. As it turned out the patch was 8 times more effective than a standard portable heart rate sensor (rhythm disturbances were detected in 16.3% of patients compared to 2.1% in the second group).

Source: The Daily Mail