1. < Heart Rhythm Conditions

Kardia?

Posted by windyshores @windyshores, May 2, 2023

I just had an episode of afib at 1:30 am with pulse around 165, short of breath. I actually tried taking simethicone (for trapped air in GI tract) and used cold water and thought it might be getting better. I jumped in the car with my oximeter/pulse on my finger and drove to the hospital at 2 am just in case. In the parking lot, I seemed okay and drove home. Now I am afraid to sleep! My Kardia needs a new battery so I relied on the oximeter.

So I need a new Kardia or is there something better and cheap that people are using? I have gone two whole years without an episode- usually more than one a year and always end up in ER, one time ICU. Dodged a bullet this time.

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starlight3 | @starlight3 | May 12 3:52am
In reply to @gloaming "I have not seen many reviews at all for the Kardia, but I have yet to..." + (show)
@gloaming

I have not seen many reviews at all for the Kardia, but I have yet to see anyone posting at affibers.org badmouthing the product. Everyone seems to think they're a good investment, particularly compared to a $400 smart watch. It's just that they have to be carried, not worn, so a bit of convenience is missing.

I decided some time ago to go for the Galaxy watch, and now have had three models of it, the Wear 2, Galaxy 4, and now the 6. I like them for their rotating bezel, a very nifty device, in addition to the various features and functions. It was my Galaxy 4, once the Canadian government okay'd the ECG and BP functions, that showed my electrophysiologist that I was still experiencing AF after he had ablated me four months earlier. He asked for a printout of my ECG, and once he saw it, there was no arguing.

If I had a nice watch that I liked, say a sentimental gift and maybe expensive to replace, I would urge you to just pay for a Kardia. The product is warranted and supported, and you can always return it if it doesn't do what you need it to do. But, I'm going out on a limb and think that you'll be happy with it.

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Thank you. I think I will go ahead and get one. I have read that the 6 lead one is hard sometimes to adhere to the knee or ankle. Quite a few complaints about that. Not sure whether to go for the card model or the basic one lead. Anyone have any thoughts?

REPLY
starlight3 | @starlight3 | May 12 3:53am
In reply to @windyshores "I use the Kardia because I always feel my afib episodes (and have had longer term..." + (show)
@windyshores

I use the Kardia because I always feel my afib episodes (and have had longer term monitoring that proves that I am not missing any asymptomatic episodes). It works really well in my situation.

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Which model do you have?

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1 reply
windyshores | @windyshores | May 12 7:17am
In reply to @starlight3 "Which model do you have?" + (show)
@starlight3

Which model do you have?

Jump to this post

I have the 6L (6 lead) but use the single lead function more often. In fact I use it most of the time.

The 6 lead EKG is done on the skin of your knee, with two fingers on each side of the device. The single lead is done with two fingers on either side of the device, on any flat surface (away from electromagnetic interference). Results go on your phone.

When I am in a troublesome period (when I had COVID, or after an episode) I also pay for "advance determinations.," which shows PVC's and other abnormalities. This works with the single lead.

I got mine several years ago but it looks like Kardia has the one and six models still ($79 and $129) and a new card type for $99. I change the battery every so often at a jewelers.

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1 reply
harveywj | @harveywj | May 12 12:28pm

I recently got the Kardia (single lead version) because I was having trouble with PACs. My PAC burden via a holter monitor X 1 month was 22% which is high. So my EP suggested Kardia. The one problem with the low end Kardia device is that it has trouble differentiating between multiple PACs and Afib. So I often get a reading of a "possible Afib reading"(PAF) when actually I am having PACs. My resting HR is 48-52 my whole life and it will show me a "PAF" with a HR of 50 and BP of 120/65 which is not really indicative of Afib. Then a minute later it says I am in sinus. Luckily I can send these to my EP as a pdf and let him read them.

REPLY
starlight3 | @starlight3 | May 12 1:07pm
In reply to @windyshores "I have the 6L (6 lead) but use the single lead function more often. In fact..." + (show)
@windyshores

I have the 6L (6 lead) but use the single lead function more often. In fact I use it most of the time.

The 6 lead EKG is done on the skin of your knee, with two fingers on each side of the device. The single lead is done with two fingers on either side of the device, on any flat surface (away from electromagnetic interference). Results go on your phone.

When I am in a troublesome period (when I had COVID, or after an episode) I also pay for "advance determinations.," which shows PVC's and other abnormalities. This works with the single lead.

I got mine several years ago but it looks like Kardia has the one and six models still ($79 and $129) and a new card type for $99. I change the battery every so often at a jewelers.

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Thank you so much!

REPLY
gloaming | @gloaming | May 12 4:11pm

'...I have read that the 6 lead one is hard sometimes to adhere to the knee or ankle. Quite a few complaints about that. Not sure whether to go for the card model or the basic one lead. Anyone have any thoughts?'

If it is a poor connection due to dermal contact, I would blame body hairs and/or skin oils. I am an apnea sufferer, and must wear a mask and use a PAP machine each night to stay healthy. In fact, the polysomnography was the very last test my cardiologist authorized, and it showed severe apnea, a complete surprise to me. The point is, I have to tape across my mouth or my slack jaw opens while I sleep and most of the flow from the machine escapes through my slack lips. This does no good for splinting my airway when I need to inhale or to exhale. In order to ensure good adhesion, even re-using the somewhat costly NexCare 'strong hold' tape that I use the next night or two, I wash my mouth with hot water and liquid hand soap before applying the tape. This ensures both good adhesion and reduces degradation of the adhesive so that I CAN use it at least one more night to keep costs down.

As windyshores relates, most of the time you can get away with the one lead. You'll still get a good determination of the nature of your heartbeat. If you ever wish to, or are asked to, provide a readout to an EP or cardiologist, or to take to the ER if you have a really bad bout of it, use the other leads, but take the time to prep the areas of application. Shouldn't take more than a full minute extra (which, I know only too well, can be an eternity when in arrhythmia...).

REPLY
1 reply
windyshores | @windyshores | May 12 5:48pm
In reply to @gloaming "'...I have read that the 6 lead one is hard sometimes to adhere to the knee..." + (show)
@gloaming

'...I have read that the 6 lead one is hard sometimes to adhere to the knee or ankle. Quite a few complaints about that. Not sure whether to go for the card model or the basic one lead. Anyone have any thoughts?'

If it is a poor connection due to dermal contact, I would blame body hairs and/or skin oils. I am an apnea sufferer, and must wear a mask and use a PAP machine each night to stay healthy. In fact, the polysomnography was the very last test my cardiologist authorized, and it showed severe apnea, a complete surprise to me. The point is, I have to tape across my mouth or my slack jaw opens while I sleep and most of the flow from the machine escapes through my slack lips. This does no good for splinting my airway when I need to inhale or to exhale. In order to ensure good adhesion, even re-using the somewhat costly NexCare 'strong hold' tape that I use the next night or two, I wash my mouth with hot water and liquid hand soap before applying the tape. This ensures both good adhesion and reduces degradation of the adhesive so that I CAN use it at least one more night to keep costs down.

As windyshores relates, most of the time you can get away with the one lead. You'll still get a good determination of the nature of your heartbeat. If you ever wish to, or are asked to, provide a readout to an EP or cardiologist, or to take to the ER if you have a really bad bout of it, use the other leads, but take the time to prep the areas of application. Shouldn't take more than a full minute extra (which, I know only too well, can be an eternity when in arrhythmia...).

Jump to this post

I have never failed to get the 6 lead to work but it does take a few tries!

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