Once again, the Apple Watch has proven its life-saving capabilities by alerting emergency services when a firefighter from Elmsdale, Nova Scotia, Travis Chalmers, suffered a heart attack after playing street hockey with his son. Despite his physical fitness, Chalmers experienced a splitting headache and a warm sensation in his chest, initially dismissing it as symptoms of a cold or flu.
A 44-year-old firefighter goes to the hospital after his Apple Watch alerts him of an abnormal heart rhythm.
However, his symptoms worsened and Travis informed Canada’s Global News, “Around thirty minutes later, while lying down with my daughter, my heart rate was still abnormally high.” Upon checking his Apple Watch, the firefighter discovered that he was suffering from atrial fibrillation, a condition characterized by an irregular heart rhythm that may signal an impending stroke or heart failure.
The 44-year-old made the decision to go to the hospital, realizing that it was necessary. After mentioning his symptoms of atrial fibrillation, he was promptly admitted and informed that he was likely experiencing a heart attack. The doctors informed him that his troponin levels were elevated, indicating heart damage. Further tests confirmed that Chalmers had indeed suffered a heart attack.
If the Apple Watch notifies you of any abnormal heart activity, go to the emergency room right away.
The firefighter shared that he spent a week in the hospital undergoing additional tests, which confirmed that one of his arteries is completely blocked. The doctors determined that the artery became fully clogged while he was playing street hockey with his son. He has two children and was previously very active, so the heart attack came as a shock. He will need to take medication daily for the rest of his life.
The hospital cardiologist states that alerts from smartwatches prompt us to delve further into a patient’s medical concerns.
Dr. Ciorsti MacIntyre, a cardiologist at Halifax’s QEII infirmary, commended devices such as the Apple Watch for their ability to promptly notify users of an abnormal heart rhythm. Dr. MacIntyre explained that patients are increasingly presenting information from their wearable devices, which healthcare providers must address. These devices are designed to detect irregularities in heart rhythm, with atrial fibrillation often being a common cause, but there are also other harmless factors that may contribute to these irregularities.
The doctor is pleased to see individuals wearing smartwatches that can monitor their heart rhythms, but she cautions that these devices may exaggerate certain information. Despite their accuracy, she acknowledges the potential for false positives and emphasizes the importance of not solely relying on smartwatches for medical decisions. Instead, she suggests using more advanced medical-grade technology to further investigate any concerns.
In other words, devices such as the Apple Watch can serve as the initial line of defense by alerting individuals to potential health issues and guiding them to seek further medical assistance at a hospital, where more advanced technology can be utilized for diagnosis and prognosis.
