Home monitoring of heart rate and heart rhythm with a smartphone‐based ECG in dogs

Abstract

The feasibility of the home monitoring of heart rate (HR) and rhythm through ECG tracings recorded by owners with a smartphone ECG device was evaluated in dogs. Smartphone ECG tracings were recorded by owners at home using a single-lead ECG device and sent via email for interpretation. A questionnaire was prepared to assess the owner’s opinion regarding this home monitoring service. Recordings were evaluated by two operators, and agreement was evaluated for HR and rhythm diagnosis. Thirty-three dogs were included. Thirty-one owners (94 per cent) felt that the recording technique was easy to learn and that the smartphone ECG device was easy to use. A total of 15 owners (45 per cent) required a second person to hold the dog during recording. Of the 150 smartphone ECG tracings that were received, 134 (89 per cent) were interpretable. The median difference between the two operators to assess the mean HR on the smartphone tracings was 10 bpm (−10, +25 bpm). Perfect agreement (κ=1) between operators was observed in the heart rhythm evaluation. Most owners sent adequate ECG tracings for interpretation via email from their smartphone. Home monitoring of HR and heart rhythm may represent an additional tool in the management of dogs with arrhythmias.

Comparison of Standard Electrocardiography and Smartphone-Based Electrocardiography Recorded at Two Different Anatomic Locations in Healthy Meat and Dairy Breed Does

“…In a study of horses, 48/50 smartphone ECGs were of diagnostic quality ( 6 ), this was similar to our study, with the exception of the 3 does where PR intervals were not determined. Studies of horses and dogs have found perfect heart rate agreement with smart-phone based ECGs ( 4 , 6 , 13 ), and while the BA heart rate agreement in the does of this study was not perfect, it was close enough that differences may be clinically insignificant (113.5 ± 10.6 vs. 115 ± 10.9 bpm). In cattle smartphone ECGs were found to be reliable indicators of heart rate and some ECG parameters ( 7 ), and this appears to be in agreement with the findings of the does in the study.…”

“…The ECGs collected during this study were collected from skin that had been prepared with alcohol for improved contact. This technique has been described for dairy cattle ( 7 ) as well as dogs ( 13 ). Practitioners should be aware that other techniques for improving skin contact have been described, such as the use of ultrasound gel or clipping of the skin ( 3 , 8 ).…”

Evaluation of a smartphone‐based electrocardiogram device accuracy in field and in hospital conditions in horses

“…7 8 A study evaluated the feasibility of heart rate and rhythm home monitoring with an sECG device in healthy and cardiopathic dogs. 9 Moreover, the device was used to detect prerace and postrace heart rate and rhythm in Thoroughbred horses that received furosemide 10 and as a rapid screening for cardiac arrhythmias in draft horse' competition. 11 Another study evaluated the use of smartphone device to obtain ECG data in seven horses while they were standing, walking and trotting.…”

Comparison of heart rate obtained from shorter duration Holter recordings to 24-hour mean heart rate in dogs with atrial fibrillation

“…Moreover, we only used a maximum of hours of ECG recording to assess the accuracy of shorter duration ECG recordings. To the authors knowledge, currently available at-home tools for continuous, short duration ECG evaluation (including smartphone-based ECG platforms, event recorders or continuous loop recorders) do not have the capacity to record continuous ECG for more than one-hour duration [ 13 , 16 ]. Therefore, at the time of publication, practically any continuous ECG recording duration longer than one hour may not be practically feasible without placement of a version of Holter monitoring.…”

“…Moreover, methods of HR estimation based on pulse detection or peripheral rate of blood flow are unlikely to be accurate given the frequent nature of pulse deficits in dogs with AF and requires further investigation. ECG based devices such as a smartphone-based ECG (AliveCor®, AliveCor® Inc., San Francisco, California) has been previously evaluated in dogs with AF and was noted to have good owner compliance in using these devices for short duration ECG recording [ 13 ]. While AliveCor smart phone ECG provided good rhythm evaluation in dogs, there were considerable differences between veterinary cardiologists for estimation of HR using AliveCor obtained ECG in dogs with both sinus rhythm and AF [ 13 ].…”