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Updated: Oct 15, 2025

Patient Directed Recording of a Bipolar Three-Lead Electrocardiogram using a Smartwatch with ECG Function
Published on: December 11, 2019
[Interpretation of paced ECGs by the wearable defibrillator : Pitfalls and solutions]
Maura M Zylla1,2,3, Dierk Thomas4,5,6
1Innere Medizin III (Kardiologie, Angiologie, Pneumologie), Medizinisches Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 410, 69120, Heidelberg, Deutschland. maura.zylla@med.uni-heidelberg.de.
Abstract:
The wearable cardioverter defibrillator (WCD) can protect patients against sudden cardiac death during temporarily increased or unknown risk of ventricular arrhythmias or in the situation of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) explantation due to infection. In unusual cases, misinterpretation of the ECG by the tachycardia detection and discrimination algorithm of the WCD can occur which can lead to inappropriate acoustic alerts or inappropriate WCD therapy. We explain the mechanisms of inappropriate WCD therapy in two cases from daily clinical practice together with potential strategies to avoid such events in this special group of patients.
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