A study published in Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology suggests that a smart wristband device may be able to detect cardiac arrest with high accuracy, potentially speeding up emergency response and improving survival for out-of-hospital events. The DETECT-1b study tested an algorithm in 49 adults in the Netherlands during medical procedures where life-threatening heart rhythms were temporarily induced in a controlled setting.
Across 59 cardiac arrest–type events, the device correctly identified cardiac arrest 92% of the time. Researchers noted a relatively low number of false positives and described the wearable as a potential “digital witness” that could alert emergency services or nearby responders when a cardiac arrest is detected.
While the findings are promising, the study was small and conducted in a controlled clinical environment, so real-world performance still needs to be tested. Researchers emphasized that further validation is needed before widespread use, but the results point toward wearable technology potentially playing a future role in faster detection and response to sudden cardiac arrest.
SOURCE: Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology