A few days ago a child was drowning in the sea due to a sudden fainting spell. A visit to the cardiology department of Santobono in Naples – led by Dr. Rodolfo Paladini – highlighted that it could be a syncope due to a sudden alteration of the heart rhythm and that this episode could be a warning symptom of a much more serious episode. To continuously monitor the child's cardiac activity, Dr. Paladini's team decided to inject an ECG micromonitor under the skin, so as to be able to make an exact diagnosis of the pathology and have continuous control of the child. "With a special syringe - explained Dr. Paladini - we injected the device in a few minutes just under the patient's skin, in the left pectoral area, through a small incision less than a centimeter. This device will allow us to record the electrocardiogram for the next three years, and, through the external telemedicine system, will send the diagnostic data from home to the hospital". The monitor is positioned under local anesthesia; the ease of use and minimal invasiveness of this instrument allows its use even in the youngest children who have presented with syncope whose cause cannot be identified with the available tests. The device used also includes an external telemedicine monitor that, positioned at the patient's home, transmits the diagnostic data directly to the hospital, using the mobile telephone network.
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