Smartphone ECG aids real time diagnosis of palpitations in the competitive college athlete.
OBJECTIVE
Rapidly detecting dangerous arrhythmias in a symptomatic athlete continues to be an elusive goal. The use of handheld smartphone electrocardiogram (ECG) monitors could represent a helpful tool connecting the athletic trainer to the cardiologist.


METHODS
Six college athletes presented to their athletic trainers complaining of palpitations during exercise. A single lead ECG was performed using the AliveCor Heart Monitor and sent wirelessly to the Team Cardiologist who confirmed an absence of dangerous arrhythmia.


CONCLUSIONS
AliveCor monitoring has the potential to enhance evaluation of symptomatic athletes by allowing trainers and team physicians to make diagnosis in real-time and facilitate faster return to play.
UNC-Chapel Hill Department of Medicine/Pediatrics. Electronic address: dperitz@unch.unc.edu.
David C
DC
Peritz
UNC- Chapel Hill Department of Internal Medicine.
Austin
A
Howard
UNC- Chapel Hill Department of Sports Medicine.
Mario
M
Ciocca
UNC-Chapel Hill Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology.
Eugene H
EH
Chung
D000293:Adolescent; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000175:diagnosis*; D056352:Athletes; D003199:Computer Systems; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D015716:Electrocardiography, Ambulatory / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D063731:Mobile Applications; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D000068997:Smartphone; D013334:Students; D014495:Universities; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D055815:Young Adult
Ambulatory EKG monitoring; Arrhythmia; Athlete; Palpitations; Sudden cardiac death