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Accuracy of the Apple Watch single-lead ECG recordings in pre-term neonates

Part of: Electrophysiology

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 December 2021

Christian Paech Open the ORCID record for Christian Paech [Opens in a new window] ,
Maria Kobel ,
Anna Michaelis ,
Roman Antonin Gebauer ,
Philipp Kalden ,
Ingo Dähnert ,
Ulrich Thome ,
Franziska Markel  and
Sebastian Rützel
Christian Paech*
Affiliation:
Department for Pediatric Cardiology, University of Leipzig - Heart Center, Leipzig, Germany
Maria Kobel
Affiliation:
Department for Pediatric Cardiology, University of Leipzig - Heart Center, Leipzig, Germany
Anna Michaelis
Affiliation:
Department for Pediatric Cardiology, University of Leipzig - Heart Center, Leipzig, Germany
Roman Antonin Gebauer
Affiliation:
Department for Pediatric Cardiology, University of Leipzig - Heart Center, Leipzig, Germany
Philipp Kalden
Affiliation:
Department for Pediatric Cardiology, University of Leipzig - Heart Center, Leipzig, Germany
Ingo Dähnert
Affiliation:
Department for Pediatric Cardiology, University of Leipzig - Heart Center, Leipzig, Germany
Ulrich Thome
Affiliation:
Department for Neonatology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
Franziska Markel
Affiliation:
Department for Pediatric Cardiology, University of Leipzig - Heart Center, Leipzig, Germany
Sebastian Rützel
Affiliation:
Department for Neonatology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
*
Author for correspondence: C. Paech, Department for Pediatric Cardiology, University of Leipzig - Heart Center, Strümpellstr. 39, 04289Leipzig, Germany. Tel: +49-341-8651036; Fax: +49-341-8651143. E-mail: christian.paech@med.uni-leipzig.de
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Abstract

Introduction:

Telemedicine gained an increasing use throughout the last years. Lifestyle tools like the Apple watch seem to have an increasing spread even in remote areas and underdeveloped regions. The increasing availability of these tools offers the chance to use the health care functions of these devices to improve provision of professional medical care. First data on the use of the Apple Watch as a remote monitoring device in children have been reported, showing good acceptability and usability of the Apple Watch for symptom monitoring in children. This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of the Apple Watch iECG in comparison to a standard 12-lead ECG in pre-term babies.

Methods:

In this prospective, single-arm study, consecutive preterm neonates hospitalised in Leipzig University Hospital neonatal ICU were eligible. A 12-lead ECG and an iECG using Apple Watch 4 were performed. iECG and 12-lead ECG measurements were performed by a paediatric cardiologist. Cardiac rhythm was classified and amplitudes and timing intervals were analysed for comparability.

Results:

Fifty preterm neonates, gestational week (23–36 weeks), and body weight (0.65–3.09 kg) were enrolled. Overall good quality and excellent correlation of the Apple Watch generated iECG in comparison to the standard 12-lead ECG could be demonstrated (p < 0.001). When interpreted by a paediatric cardiologist, a correct rhythm classification could be done in 100% of cases.

Conclusion:

The Apple Watch iECG seems to be a valuable tool to record an ECG comparable to lead I of the standard 12-lead ECG even in pre-term neonates. With a widespread availability and excellent connectivity, the Apple Watch iECG function may provide practitioners with a tool to send an iECG for interpretation to a paediatric cardiac specialist.

Keywords

Apple Watchsmart watchECGpaediatric cardiologyneonatetelemedicine
Type
Original Article
Information
Cardiology in the Young , Volume 32 , Issue 10 , October 2022 , pp. 1633 - 1637
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

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Footnotes

Sebastian Rützel and Maria Kobel equally contributed to the actual manuscript.

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