Smartphone transmission of electrocardiography images to reduce time of cardiac catheterization laboratory activation

Chun Chieh Chao, Yi Chun Chen, Chun Ming Shih, Sen Kuang Hou, Raghu R. Seethala, Imoigele P. Aisiku, Chuan Chin Huang, Peter C. Hou, Wei Fong Kao

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

11 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Background: This retrospective study evaluated the use of a smartphone application to facilitate communication between the emergency physician (EP) and the interventional cardiologist in order to minimize the time to cardiac catheterization laboratory (CCL) activation and time to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: We retrospectively collected pertinent time-points in the management of patients diagnosed with STEMI in the emergency department and their outcome. The primary outcome was the reduction in the time from ECG interpretation to CCL activation after the implementation of a smartphone application. A total of 84 patients were enrolled. Patients' electrocardiography (ECG) were described by traditional verbal communication via telephone (group 1, n = 40) and by additional smartphone transmission of ECG images to an interventional cardiologist (group 2, n = 44). Relevant time-points were recorded for analysis. Results: The time from ECG interpretation to CCL activation was reduced from 28.3 ± 4.1 in group 1 to 17.6 ± 2.3 min in group 2 (p = 0.03). Similarly, the time from ECG interpretation to balloon inflation time (D2B) decreased from 93.1 to 73.4 min (p = 0.025). Comparing group 2 with group 1, the door to balloon (D2B) time improved to 90.4 ± 9.8 from 119.3 ± 16.3 min (p = 0.23), the proportion of patients with a D2B time less than 90 min increased to 70.5% from 52.5% (p = 0.09), and the mortality rate decreased to 2.2% from 12.5% (p = 0.07). Conclusion: The additional use of a smartphone application to transmit ECG information to interventional cardiologists by EPs facilitated communication and reduced the decision time to CCL activation and percutaneous intervention.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)505-510
Number of pages6
JournalJournal of the Chinese Medical Association
Volume81
Issue number6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jun 2018

Keywords

  • Cardiac catheterization laboratory
  • Electrocardiography
  • Percutaneous coronary intervention

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Medicine

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