Welcome back to In the Loop with Nadja Wlasiuk, where we make sense of the heart's most curious rhythms, one beat at a time. Today's episode is a special one because we're talking about a device that's not only central to my everyday clinical practice, but also part of the inspiration behind the name of this show, the Implantable Loop Recorder.
That's right-
I literally put people “in the loop.”
Or rather, I put “the loop in them.”
These small but mighty devices help us uncover the elusive causes of fainting, palpitations, cryptogenic stroke, and unexplained pauses in heart rhythm. I'll walk you through what a loop recorder is, how it works, why we use it, and what patients can expect from the procedure, from consultation to follow-up.
Loop recorders also hold a special place in my heart because I worked with my incredible team to develop an outpatient implantable loop recorder clinic at UCSF Health. Before this clinic, the patients had to come into our hospital and they were implanted behind a curtained area in our EP lab. Whether you're a patient, a clinician, or just curious about the tools we use in electrophysiology, you're in the right place.
Let's get into it.
For Everyone:
2:35: Indications for implant
4:09: Classes of Recommendation
5:31: Cryptogenic Stroke
American Stroke Association: https://www.stroke.org/en/about-stroke/types-of-stroke/cryptogenic-stroke
8:13: Syncope
Johns Hopkins: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/syncope-fainting
9:43: Atrial fibrillation management
11:39: Risks
13:23
13:51
20:09
20:30
21:22
For Healthcare Providers:
Produced by Nadja Wlasiuk, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC
