The NYHA heart failure patients have a new device that is useful in predicting their volume status. A Lancet article in 2013 showed that this device called the CARDIOMEMS ( implantable hemodynamic monitoring). This big study showed that it reduced hospitalizations of heart failure patients. This device measures the pulmonary artery pressures (PAP) via remote monitoring. The device is placed via interventional means and the remote box predicts the PAP. Based on that the physician can assess volume status and increase or decrease diuretics or give fluids preventing inpatient visits.
The holy grail of ESRD patients has been the dry weight and how do we know they are more volume overloaded or need more UF. MEMS or microelectromechanical systems can perhaps play a major role in renal care. MEMS offers a potential to predict volume status in ESRD patients. The current use of drt weight comes with fluctuations, errors and not much reliability. This device could be planted in HD patients and perhaps we could remotely monitor their fluid status and call for extra UF sessions, or remove less fluid and so forth and perhaps even prevent hospitalizations.
What an amazing achievement by the cardiologists.
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