University Hospital Galway has introduced new technology to Ireland, which is designed to help patients with heart failure to better monitor their fluid levels in the body. 

 

Over 10,000 new cases of heart failure are diagnosed annually in Ireland. It is a significant public health priority, with patients requiring frequent hospitalisation. Patients with heart failure are commonly advised to closely monitor signs of swelling and other symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath and chest pain. Despite these measures, many patients end up back in hospital within months after a heart failure hospitalisation, often due to fluid build-up in the lungs.

 

A newly introduced sensor directly measures the volume of fluid build-up, allowing cardiology teams to monitor patients remotely, which can help avoid unnecessary visits to hospital. The device gives clinicians access to real-time information about their patient’s heart health which in turn results in more rapid interventions.

 

Part of a clinical trial led by Prof Faisal Sharif, consultant interventional cardiologist at UHG, the procedure, he explains is “very straightforward and is carried out as a day case operation”.

 

“The sensor is implanted using a small catheter which is placed in a vein at the top of the leg. It is collapsed on entry so it can be pushed up into the inferior vena cava (IVC), which carries oxygen-depleted blood back to the heart. The sensor is then expanded to its full size where it continuously measures the size of the IVC, which signals the amount of fluid in the body. High levels can increase the risk of breathing difficulties and can lead to a build-up of fluid in the lungs which in turn can lead to an emergency hospital admission.”

 

After surgery, patients are provided with a detection belt worn across the stomach for one to two minutes a day which powers the implanted sensor using radiofrequency energy.

 

Data is sent daily from the patient’s home to the heart failure team in the hospital and this alerts the team to early warning signs so they can intervene before the patient’s condition worsens.