Method for decreasing mortality of hemodialysis patients
First Claim
1. A method for providing an alarm signal to alert a dialysis patient that he or she is having a heart attack, the method including the following steps:
- a) determining if the patient is a dialysis patient who has been connected to a system that performs dialysis;
b) implanting into the patient a system for early warning of a heart attack by means of noting an ST segment shift in that patient'"'"'s electrogram;
c) sounding an alarm from within the implanted system to warn the patient that he or she is having a heart attack.
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Abstract
Disclosed is a means and method to decrease mortality and morbidity of patients who regularly undergo either hemodialysis (typically) at a hospital or who undergo peritoneal dialysis at home. The present invention utilizes an implantable system that can detect early signs of a heart attack by noting changes in the electrogram signal from an electrode placed near the apex of the right ventricle of the patient'"'"'s heart. What is specifically noted from the electrogram for the early detection of a heart attack is a shift in the ST segment compared to a baseline level of the ST segment that was placed in the implanted device'"'"'s memory at an earlier time. The implanted system is also in contact with an externally located alarm means that also can alert the patient if a heart attack occurs.
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Citations
8 Claims
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1. A method for providing an alarm signal to alert a dialysis patient that he or she is having a heart attack, the method including the following steps:
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a) determining if the patient is a dialysis patient who has been connected to a system that performs dialysis;
b) implanting into the patient a system for early warning of a heart attack by means of noting an ST segment shift in that patient'"'"'s electrogram;
c) sounding an alarm from within the implanted system to warn the patient that he or she is having a heart attack. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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Specification