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Updated: Jul 2, 2025

Patient Directed Recording of a Bipolar Three-Lead Electrocardiogram using a Smartwatch with ECG Function
Published on: December 11, 2019
Smartwatch detection of new-onset monomorphic ventricular tachycardia in pregnancy
Jenny Y Mei1, Liwen Xu2, Tina A Nguyen2
1Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of California Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA jennyyangmei@gmail.com.
Abstract:
Smartwatches provide health tracking in various ways and there has been a recent rise in reporting cardiac arrhythmias. While original studies focused on atrial fibrillation, fewer reports have been made on other arrhythmias especially in pregnancy. We report a pregnant patient who presented at 34 weeks' gestation with palpitations. An ECG recorded through her Apple Watch showed ventricular tachycardia. Hospital ECG confirmed monomorphic ventricular tachycardia likely caused by increased sympathetic tone from the gravid state. She was admitted to the cardiac intensive care unit for close monitoring with intravenous anti-arrhythmic agents; however, the rhythm persisted. She underwent a caesarean delivery and the arrhythmia resolved post partum. She later underwent a catheter ablation, after which she discontinued all anti-arrhythmic medications with no recurrence. This case highlights the importance of requesting relevant digital health information, if available, from patients in our modern era. Controlled clinical studies are needed to validate such practices.
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