CardioMEMS™: a tool for remote hemodynamic monitoring of chronic heart failure patients
Remote monitoring is becoming increasingly important for management of chronic heart failure patients. Recently, hemodynamic monitoring by measuring intracardiac filling pressures has been gaining attention. It is believed that hemodynamic congestion precedes clinical congestion by several weeks and that remote hemodynamic monitoring therefore enables clinicians to intervene in an early stage and prevent heart failure hospitalizations. The CardioMEMS HF system (Abbott, CA, USA) is a sensor capable of measuring pulmonary artery pressures as a surrogate of left ventricular filling pressures. Clinical evidence for CardioMEMS has been convincing in terms of efficacy and safety. This article provides detailed information on the CardioMEMS HF system and summarizes all available evidence of this promising technique.
Left ventricular filling pattern in congestive heart failure patients with normal sinus rhythm. A decreased ratio of peak mitral flow velocity in atrial systole relative to that in early diastole may reflect markedly increased left ventricular end-diastolic pressure.
