New monitoring system helps check congestive heart failure patients

Thursday, January 18th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Glenn Palmer has congestive heart failure. Heâ€™s come to Oklahoma City's University Hospital for his regular checkup. Thanks to a new device implanted in his chest, Palmerâ€™s doctors can keep closer watch on how his heart is functioning.

It's called the â€œChronicleâ€ and it helps monitor build up of fluid in Palmer's system. It is a common problem with congestive heart failure. "In our preliminary studies, we have no identified that we can see pressure changes up to five days before the patient even complains of symptoms that bring them to the hospital,â€ said University Hospitalâ€™s Dr. Phillip Adamson. â€œSo if we are able to catch those exacerbations before they experience symptoms, we believe we can dramatically impact how these patients are cared for."

Now without leaving his home, Palmer's doctor can examine him from an hour away. Thanks to the Internet, his doctor can access the information stored on the Chronicle almost instantly. "We have a little machine that we hook up,â€ said Dr. Adamson. â€œWe have a monitor pad that goes over the Chronicle, and we download it over the telephone into their computer at the hospital."

Palmer places a telemetry device over the Chronicle, which sends the stored information over phone lines to a secured website. The data is processed, and then evaluated by a team of specialists at University Hospital. If they see a rise in pressures, they can make immediate adjustments in the patient's medications. "This weekend, I talked to a patient over the telephone who was feeling short of breath, Dr. Adamson explained. â€œI asked her to download her information over the network. I accessed it from home on my computer, and found that her pressures had already gone up quite a bit. I told her to increase her water pill intake, and today she is feeling much better and her pressures have come down."

For Palmer, the home monitoring system saves him a long drive and brings peace of mind. "It's much more of a convenience, and the fact that I can do it at any time of the day or night, 24 hours a day,â€ he said. â€œ I can get them the information, so that they can monitor me immediately."

Doctors say, ultimately day-to-day management helps keep congestive heart failure patients feeling better and out of the hospital. If you'd like more information on the Chronicle home monitoring system, you can call (405) 271 - 2916.