Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 2019:23:19-025.
doi: 10.7812/TPP/19-025. Epub 2019 Jun 27.

Novel Use of Apple Watch 4 to Obtain 3-Lead Electrocardiogram and Detect Cardiac Ischemia

Cesar O Avila  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Novel Use of Apple Watch 4 to Obtain 3-Lead Electrocardiogram and Detect Cardiac Ischemia

Cesar O Avila. Perm J. 2019.

Abstract

Background: Early recognition and treatment of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) results in better outcomes.

Objectives: To describe a novel technique using the Apple Watch 4 (Apple Inc, Cupertino, CA) to obtain a 3-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) and confirm the watch's feasibility to detect cardiac ischemia in selective cases with a particular injury pattern.

Methods: Two male patients in the Emergency Department had STEMI apparent on their ECGs. These findings were compared with those from the Apple Watch 4, whose positioning was adjusted for 3-lead ECG.

Results: The patients' real-time, watch-based, 3-lead ECG tracings matched the traditional ECGs demonstrating STEMI, confirming the potential ability of this device to uncover myocardial ischemia. In each patient, cardiac catheterization revealed severe, 100% occlusion of the right coronary artery.

Conclusion: The Apple Watch 4 could lead to earlier detection of acute coronary artery disease, but sensitivity and specificity remain unknown.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure Statement

The author(s) have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Positioning of Apple Watch 4 for 3-lead electrocardiography.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Electrocardiogram (ECG) lead tracings vs Apple Watch 4 tracings in control.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Electrocardiogram reveals a ST-elevation myocardial infarction in a 52-year-old man (case 1).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Lead tracings of traditional electrocardiogram (ECG) and Apple Watch 4 in case 1. STEMI = ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Electrocardiogram reveals a ST-elevation myocardial infarction in a 68-year-old man (case 2).
Figure 6
Figure 6
Lead tracings of traditional electrocardiogram (ECG) and Apple Watch 4 in case 2. STEMI = ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

References

    1. Multiple cause of death files, 1999–2013, CDC WONDER [Internet] Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; [cited 2015 Feb 3]. Available from: https://wonder.cdc.gov/mcd.html.
    1. O’Gara PT, Kushner FG, Ascheim DD, et al. 2013 ACCF/AHA guideline for the management of ST-elevation myocardial infarction: A report of the American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines. Circulation. 2013 Jan 29;127(4):e362–425. doi: 10.1161/CIR.0b013e3182742cf6. . Erratum in: Circulation 2013 Dec 24;128(25):e481. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Finnegan JR, Jr, Meischke H, Zapka JG, et al. Patient delay in seeking care for heart attack symptoms: Findings from focus groups conducted in five US regions. Prev Med. 2000 Sep;31(3):205–13. doi: 10.1006/pmed.2000.0702. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Leslie WS, Urie A, Hooper J, Morrison CE. Delay in calling for help during myocardial infarction: Reasons for the delay and subsequent pattern of accessing care. Heart. 2000 Aug;84(2):137–41. doi: 10.1136/heart.84.2.137. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Rucker DW, Brennan TA, Burstin HR. Delay in seeking emergency care. Acad Emerg Med. 2001 Feb;8(2):163–9. doi: 10.1111/j.1553-2712.2001.tb01282.x. - DOI - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources