Medtronic Pacemaker Members with MyCareLink Relay Home Communicator

home monitor

by new to pace.... - 2021-11-10 22:30:22

I asked that same question as i understand the infomation is transferred nightly.  The only critical time is the 3 month tranmission date.  If you will not be home that night, do contact your pacemaker clinic and let them know.   

Said no need to bring it with me.

The pacemaker is able to store many nights.  At my yearly in office check up.  All the data from the past year is on the report.

Enjoy your trip.

new to pace

Pacemaker storage

by AgentX86 - 2021-11-10 22:44:47

Pacemakers store what the doctor tells them to store and the bedside box is programmed to transmit the data as often as your doctor wants to monitor it. 

There is limited storage in the pacemaker so depending on medical needs it might store a lot of data that needs to be read out regularly or it may store a little that can wait three months or even a year.  If you condition needs close tracking the box is set to transmit more frequently.

Home Monitor comments

by disneyfan - 2021-11-11 09:09:54

Thank you very much for your helpful comments!   Sharon

Carelink

by islandgirl - 2021-11-13 21:48:06

I transmit manually once a week per my EP's instructions and sometimes the EP will also download it.  I set up with Medtronic (refer to instruction booklet or website) that I receive a text when my Carelink is downloaded.  I can then tell when my dr. downloads it or when I send it.  

AgentX86 is correct....it depends on what your EP sets up as far as automatic transmissions.  I have never asked my EP if he has set it up for automatic transmissions.  I think my schedule allows his office to print it out for his review, and if I'm having problems, the office will tell me to maybe transmit every day for a week......  I text the office and let them know I have sent a transmission so they can print it out.

The device has a memory.

by PacedNRunning - 2021-11-17 01:35:23

The home monitors haven't been around that long. A lot of people do not have them. They are just communicators that transmit data from your device to a website with your data. Your doctor logs into that website and reviews your data.  The monitor does not have a memory or the capibility to store any data.  The actual PM can store data for up to a year for certain data like lead data.  The monitor basically pings your device nightly seeing if any alerts were triggered. If NO ALERTS are triggered NOTHING is downloaded. No news is good news. It does this every night. It does NOT transmit normal data nightly. No one can watch us all that closely. This is why they set up certain parameters to be notified of in case there is an issue with your device or an  event that needs addressing.  This is because before monitors they didn't know about an issue until the patient came in for a device check.  this way they know ahead of time how your battery is doing, leads are stable etc. So when you travel it will store on your device until you get back home. Once home it will ping you looking for any alerts.  I was told to call if I'm gone more than 2 weeks and let them know in case I miss a scheduled download. Downloads are either every 3 months, every month or however often your doctor wants. Mine is every 5 weeks it sends a full report.  So basically full reports on a Schedule like every 3 months and then any alerts seen before the 3 months.  Hope that helps. Also know the device does not record every beat. Only certain events like afib/flutter/SVT/VT or leads out of range and low battery.  If it doesn't met the recording criteria it will not record and not considered significant even though we may feel something.