The Heart Centre at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSHandRC) has announced the implantation of a wireless sensor-monitoring sensor in 65 patients diagnosed with heart failure. This advanced system facilitates outpatient monitoring, allowing early detection of potential cardiac dysfunction. Such timely insights empower the clinical team to intervene in appropriate therapeutic adjustments, thereby enhancing the quality of life for such patients.
The sensor is introduced into the patient's pulmonary artery through a catheterization procedure that is typically performed within an hour. This compact sensor is comparable in size to a paper clip, continuously monitoring the pulmonary artery pressure that provides daily readings. These data points are wirelessly transmitted to the patient's healthcare team, enabling them to proactively adjust therapeutic regimens, either by modifying medication dosages or implementing other clinical interventions, to prevent symptom worsening or potential deterioration of the patient's cardiac status.
The sensor is renowned for its safety and precision in gauging pulmonary artery pressure in patients with advanced heart failure. It provides a proactive intervention mechanism that has been shown to reduce the risk of hospitalization, improve quality of life and reduce the therapeutic costs associated with heart failure, thus alleviating substantial economic strain on healthcare infrastructures globally.
KFSHandRC stands as a global frontrunner in harnessing this technology for remote health monitoring, and holds a pioneering position in the Middle East. The first successful deployment of the sensor was accomplished in the last quarter of 2021, bringing about a marked enhancement in the quality of life for patients who have benefited from it.
Initial findings from technology's deployment indicated a 41% decrease in hospitalizations or visits to the emergency department. Furthermore, there was a notable enhancement in patients' capacity to undertake daily tasks. Diagnostic evaluations highlighted that post-implantation of the heart sensor, four patients were circumvented from the previously deemed necessary heart transplant.
King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center is one of the world's leading specialist healthcare providers, ranked 20th in Brand Finance's list of "2023 World's Top 250 Hospitals" and the first-best hospital in the Middle East and Africa.
Source: Saudi Press Agency