University Hospital Galway (UHG) has completed the final phase of an innovative clinical trial which reduces the hospitalisation rate for patients living with heart failure.
The trial, which allows patients to be treated for heart failure from home, has the potential to be “a game-changer” in the treatment and monitoring of the condition, according to a statement from UHG.
Heart failure is a significant public health priority, with patients requiring frequent hospitalisations.
But, this new sensor allows cardiology teams to monitor patients remotely, avoiding hospitalisation.
An internal audit in UHG of patients who received the sensor noted a 97% decrease in hospitalisation among this group.
The Cordella Pulmonary Artery Pressure Sensor detects changes in the health of patients with heart failure and securely transmits the information to the care team for review.
If a change is detected, the team can then make changes to medications or other clinical interventions to prevent a heart failure flare-up requiring urgent hospitalisation.
Heart failure
Over recent years, UHG has conducted and completed three clinical trials with this unique device, in which 37 patients with advanced heart failure from the west and north-west of the county have had the Cordella Sensor implanted.
The trial was open for patients with heart failure, who met a certain criteria and who were being treated at the Heart Failure Clinic in UHG.
97% reduction in hospitalisations
Prof Faisal Sharif, Consultant Interventional Cardiologist at UHG and Director of Cardiovascular Research and Innovation Centre, University of Galway, who is the clinical trial’s principal investigator, explains:
“We conducted an internal audit of all the patients in UHG who had the sensor placement and were pleasantly surprised to see that hospitalisations for heart failure had decreased by 97%.”
“This technology will improve patients’ quality of life and keep them healthy in their own homes, and it has the potential to be a game changer in the treatment and monitoring of heart failure,” he added.
The sensor is placed in the right pulmonary artery of the heart to monitor pulmonary artery pressures within the heart muscle. Insertion of the sensor is a simple procedure that only requires an overnight stay in hospital.
The sensor is remotely connected to a computer system in the hospital, and the heart pressures are transmitted via a cloud-based system where the clinical research nurses can review the pressures and advise accordingly.
Remote monitoring
The Cordella System includes Bluetooth-enabled devices that measure blood pressure, weight, heart rate, and oxygen saturation, all of which are transmitted to the hospital.
One of the most important aspects of this therapy is that the patient uses a portable device on their chest that transmits their cardiac pressure to the hospital.
With the use of this technology, the patient becomes actively involved in their care.
Patient involvement leads to the monitoring of their weight, blood pressure, and oxygen saturations.
Prof Sharif continued: “And as a result, overall, leads to a better quality of life.”
“If you have a baseline of a patient’s heart rate, oxygen saturation, body weight, blood pressure, and pulmonary artery pressure and compare it over time, you can see whether they are progressively worsening, improving, or maintaining volume status.”
“And that is what keeps them well in the community,” Prof Sharif concluded.
The clinical trial is a collaboration between University Hospital Galway, University of Galway, Science Foundation Ireland and Endotronix, USA.
