Medtronic carelink Monitor

Hi all ;)
I got my Medtronic carelink Monitor today this afternoon
so now tomorrow we are going to hook it up and I am to send a reading to them... this is all pretty interesting... I have read about it..but wondered what it will send...? dumb question maybe... also when I put it on my PM will it feel like the
interrogation did the first time? does anyone know?
and will it show paplations that once in awhile i get?
anyways, just wanted to know
Thank you
breezy

11 Comments

Carelink Checkup

by ElectricFrank - 2010-01-05 11:01:26

I've had on for a couple of years now. The checkup feels much like the office check. The only difference is that they can't make adjustments using it.

It reads the stored data from the pacemaker which shows things like PVC, afib,high rate events, etc.

My actual test sends them a burst of a wave tracing similar to an ECG. This is followed by a atrial and ventricular pace at 85 bpm. Then another burst at 100 bpm. This is followed by pacing at the lower limit (55 in my case). The times that are noticeable is when the rate changes suddenly. For instance on the change from 85 to 100 there is one beat that is at 55 which I can feel.

Keep in mind that you can always remove the magnet device from your chest if you feel light headed. Removing it immediately reverts the pacer to normal operation.

It's a slick setup. I always carry mine with me on trips so I can easily send them a checkup if I have any questions.

frank

Download Data

by tuck3lin - 2010-01-06 02:01:44

My cardiologists office is pretty accomodating. And, being a technical guy, I sometimes like to see what they see, even if I can't always understand it.

So, just for fun, I had the cardiologist's office send me a copy of the raw July interrogation report they received through the carelink monitor. Printed out, it was around 70 pages. Some of it was static data about the device itself and current settings, but the remainder was captured data. Settings on the pacemaker determine what to capture and what not to capture. It isn't a holter monitor, and thus you won't have any EKG strips (requires too much memory). Some of the things the report might capture include estimated remaining battery life, pacemaker duty (how much it was used), lead impedance, occurrances of high heartrates over a set threshold, number of PVC and Afib incidents, and so on. I am sure there was other technical stuff, but I don't have the report in front of me. Although it was interesting, it wasn't terribly useful. Then again, this was a routine scheduled interrogation. I had not felt anything really abnormal prior to doing the interrogation and thus wasn't expecting any alarms to go off.

The way the process was explained to me it that the carelink monitor is customized to our particular device. Thus, we never have to enter identifying data; just place the monitor over our chest and press the green button. When you do a download the data automatically gets tied to a particular device, paitent, and primary doctor. My data goes to medtronic, gets auto-formated and stored on their server, and the nurse in my cardiologist office gets an auto-generated email indicating that there is downloaded data for patient XXX ready to review. This all happens within minutes. The office nurse simply opens the link from the email in a web browser, which takes them to the online report. She will then print out the report, and give it to the cardiologist (more likely put it on the Cardio's desk), who will review for any abnormalities. In my case, after review the doctor will then type a short summary report to put in my file. They sent me the last one, which was four short sentences long ("Patient downloaded data on 11/23/09. Reviewed on 11/24/09. All data normal, no action required. Next review scheduled for 2/22/10"). If they see anything that requires attention or adjustment, they will call you in. Otherwise, you just wait until the next scheduled download or in office visit.

My downloads are every three months, with office visits scheduled once a year. So far, nothing has come up requiring altering that schedule.

carelink

by thomast - 2010-01-06 04:01:20

With my new PM in oct. I received a new carelink monitor. I had to send in the first time by placing the coil over the unit and pushing the button. After that I just have to have it about 10 ft from where I sleep, and it will work by wireless to connect whenever they decide to read it out. I was told it will be every 3 months, at about 4:00 AM while I am sleeping. Neat huh?

Thomas

Questions

by SMITTY - 2010-01-06 07:01:51


Hello Breezy,

I know you asked Frank these questions, but I would like to try to answer before Frank gets to them so if I goof Frank can give the correct info. This way it gives me the opportunity to slip in my questions disguised as answers and Frank can answer them also when I'm wrong. But you have asked some questions that I spent 2+ years looking for answers to. With help from a lot of people here at the PM Club, I got most of the answers I wanted. If I had to give credit for the answers I got I would say about 95% of them came from PM Club members and the remaining 5% were from the "experts."

Let's start with the lower limit of 50 and upper limit of 140 you mentioned. From what I understand the low number is the number your pacemaker is not supposed to let your heart go below. You mention to 70 and I am guessing that is where you normally find your heart rate. If so, then that is probably where your heart's natural pacemaker keeps your heart rate most of the time and rarely needs help from the pacemaker. I say most of the time because few of us have an absolutely stable heart rate which means even the best of them may drop a few beats occasionally. When the man made PM detects the heart's natural PM not sending an impulse for a couple of times it can step in and keep the heart beating regularly which means you PM is helping out even though your heart rate has not dropped below the magic number of 50.

Now take the number of 140. When your heart rate reaches that BPM. then your PM will step aside and just monitor your heart function until it sees that your HR has dropped below 140, At that point it will get back into the game doing what I described in the previous paragraph.

Now this is where it gets interesting, or for me, more confusing. But if the Rate Response is turned in your PM a little physical activity will cause the RR to jack up your HR. For this discussion, say your normal HR is 70 and you do something like walking across the room hurriedly, and the RR increases your HR to 100 or above. In this case you can have three features on your PM going at one time. One is the initial monitoring of your HR; two is the PM sending impulses as needed to keep a steady HR; three the RR keeping your HR at some point it thinks is needed to accommodate the activity it senses. Of course if your RR is not turned on (you will have to ask the Dr. about this) forget this last paragraph for now.

With that I'll stop because when I try to keep all this straight in my mind I get dizzy, bleary eyed and have a headache.

Good luck,

Smitty

Lower and upper limit

by ElectricFrank - 2010-01-06 10:01:36

Your description of how your heart rate varies between the 70's and 100 is exactly how your heart is supposed to function. As long as ether your heart or the pacemaker is keeping your HR between 50 and 140 the limits have no effect. It is only when they try to get outside these limits that the the limits kick in. If your HR slows down below 50 the pacemaker takes over and paces it at 50. If it goes above 140 the pacemaker will withhold sending pacing pulses to hold it down. There is more to it than that, but it quickly gets confusing and complicated.

As far as dizziness and shortness of breath is concerned the phone check data won't directly tell them it is happening. They may see things in your data that could be related, but it is up to you to let them know how you are feeling. Be prepared to insist on their addressing the problem. Don't accept being put off.

frank

Carelink & power outage

by Gonnie - 2010-01-06 10:01:43

This discussion reminds me that I need to unplug my monitor to reset it . The last time I was to have an interrogation (at night while I'm sleeping) it didn't work so my clinic called me. She told me that a power outage will prevent it from transmitting because it works somewhat like a computer that needs rebooting. We lost power a couple weeks ago during a blizzard so thanks for the reminder!

carelink monitor

by breezy - 2010-01-06 11:01:35

Thank you all for this information:) I appreciate each and every post..and Smitty thank you... my RR is not turned on...I did do my monitor this morning and they called back in about 1/2 hr and said all was just fine..my questions got answered and I was glad they responded so fast and my next one will be in May every four months for me and then a yearly visit...and the next one they will send a letter..if they see something that needs to be addressed then they will call...I did notice when I was sending that I got that ugly feeling..I hate that.. but it was fine after I took the antenna off my PM...if I have any problems between all this then I can call and send another report...I have to control my anxiety...so I am working on this.
My PM one time went below 50...I had come up from downstairs and felt a little weird..checked my pluse and it was 48...so I sat down and before I knew it..it was back up to 70 where it usually stays...for awhile I didn't feel very good..so I didn't like that at all....but that was only one time..since then I have gone up and down those stairs and everything as stayed normal..I wondered why it dropped like that....and I forgot to ask
soooo thank you all :)

Carelink Monitor

by breezy - 2010-01-06 12:01:34

Thank you to all.. I love that we can come here and asks questions and get answers.:)
I will be doing my monitor rhis morning
Thanks again
breezy

Data CareLink Monitor Sends

by J.B. - 2010-01-06 12:01:42


From Medtronic on Google:

The Medtronic CareLink Network provides comprehensive data comparable to an in-office device check, including:

1 - Full parameter summary
2 - Percent pacing
3 - Real-time and magnet EGM
4 - Batteryvoltage and longevity
5 - A-V conduction histograms
6 - Arrhythmia summary with Mode Switch duration
7 - Lead impedance and trends

PM check

by breezy - 2010-01-06 12:01:52

So Frank :) my lower limit is 50 my upper is 140
and this is something I don't understand.. sometimes my pulse will go to 100 then back down to the 70's where it usually stays...what makes that happen? and will they see that on the report from the PM? and if there are any adjustments..will they see that and have me come in?
this is so confusing to me..sometimes I think I get it
and then something happens and i don't get it at all
becuz i still have short of breath now and then and some dizzy now and then....can they see that info on te report ? frustrates me
Thank you Frank

Carelink Questions

by tommytailspin - 2010-08-29 09:08:28

I received my Carelink monitor in April of this year and was able to successfully sync it with my ICD. Since then I have been able to transmit successfully to my care provider.Once after the initial syncing and then my 1st quarterly transmission. It would seem all is well.

When I got the monitor, the nurse did not give me much information about the device and attempts to talk with her since have proved futile. Perhaps someone here can provide me some information.

1. Does the monitor interrogate my ICD every night or only prior to transmitting (quarterly)?
2. If the power to the monitor were to fail - do I need to re-sync it to my ICD?
3. Do I need to take the monitor with me when I travel or will my ICD store the information while I am out of town?

Any additional information is most appreciated.

Tom D.

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