The wearable cardioverter defibrillator as diagnostic tool: Case report from remote monitoring daily practice

Abstract

Telemedical care can point out new applications of already established therapeutics such as a wearable cardioverter–defibrillator (WCD) and improve the quality of care for chronically ill patients with heart failure through improved management of data derived from this device. The current case report describes the clinical course of a 71-year-old man, who was treated with a WCD in accordance with the current guidelines until a final decision was made about ICD implantation, after acute cardiac decompensation and lately diagnosed severe decrease of left ventricular function in the context of ischaemic cardiomyopathy. The data collected by the WCD were evaluated in a structured way via a telemedicine centre (TMC) and recurrence of the previously known paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) was discovered. This made it possible to treat the paroxysmal AF, before cardiac decompensation happened again by adjusting the medication and early initiation of pulmonary vein isolation (PVI). This case exemplifies the usefulness of structured telemedical intervention, which makes it possible to meaningfully supplement established concepts of patient care, improve existing concepts and significantly improve patient care.