Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36871070›Full record

ArticleJournal of medical case reports2023

The electrocardiogram on the wrist: a frightening experience to the untrained consumer: a case report.

Michael Zenzes, Philip Seba, Bettina Portocarrero Vivero-Fäh

Open access · goldAbstract readCase Reports
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of medical case reports, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
0.4field-weighted citation impact, top 36% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 2 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Michael ZenzesDepartment Medizin, Kantonsspital Winterthur, 8400, Winterthur, Switzerland. michael.zenzes@gmx.de.
Philip SebaDepartment Medizin, Kantonsspital Winterthur, 8400, Winterthur, Switzerland.
Bettina Portocarrero Vivero-FähDepartment Medizin, Kantonsspital Winterthur, 8400, Winterthur, Switzerland.
Kantonsspital Winterthur · CHCharité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin · DE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSmartwatches offering electrocardiogram recordings advertise the benefits of supporting an active and healthy lifestyle. More often, medical professionals are faced with privately acquired electrocardiogram data of undetermined quality recorded by smartwatches. This is boasted by results and suggestions for medical benefits, based on industry-sponsored trials and potentially biased case reports. Yet potential risks and adverse effects have been widely overlooked. CASE PRESENTATION: This case report describes an emergency consultation of a 27-year-old Swiss-German man lacking known previous medical conditions who developed an episode of anxiety and panic due to pain in the left chest prompted by over-interpretation of unremarkable electrocardiogram readings of his smartwatch. Fearing acute coronary syndrome, he presented at the emergency department. His smartwatch electrocardiograms, as well as a 12-lead electrocardiogram, appeared normal. After extensive calming and reassuring, as well as symptomatic therapy with paracetamol and lorazepam, the patient was discharged with no indications for further treatment.

conclusionsThis case demonstrates the potential risks of anxiety from nonprofessional electrocardiogram recordings by smartwatches. Medico-legal and practical aspects of electrocardiogram recordings by smartwatches need to be further considered. The case shows the potential side effects of pseudo-medical recommendations for the untrained consumer, and may add to the discussion on the ethics of how to evaluate smartwatch electrocardiogram data as a medical professional.

Indexed as

Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse ReactionsWristAdultAnxietyAnxiety DisordersElectrocardiographyHumansMaleWrist JointAnxietyCase reportECGSide effectsSmartwatch

Identifiers

PMID36871070
PMCPMC9985850
OpenAlexW4323066414

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.