'Lifesaving Piece Of Equipment': Man Receives Crucial Procedure After Smartwatch Call
While riding the bike lanes near Cincinnati's Lunk Airport one day in February, William Fryer's legs began to feel like rubber.
He felt sick all week, but after feeling better that day, he chose to walk. The pain in his leg did not alarm him at first.
"I did this when I was a kid, I ran until my legs gave out and I came down," laughed the 83-year-old, noting that he always lands somewhere, before reappearing as soft as a field of grass. .
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But as he continued, Fryer finally realized something was wrong. Fearing that he would not find his way back, he went behind some trees, where he said that if he fell, some people outside would see him. He ran about 30 meters before collapsing.
"Because I didn't remember falling, I passed out and fell to the ground," he recalls.
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After a few seconds, she regained consciousness and realized that an off-duty policeman and her husband, who had been watching closely, had come to her aid. But before he arrived, Fryer was already getting help. His Apple Watch dialed 911 and was woken up by an operator on the line.
"I laid on my back and listened to the phone asking if it was appropriate to call 911," Fryer said.
The officer spoke to EMS as Fryer, who had just woken up, listened. EMS rescuers were unable to determine the cause of Fryer's fall. An ambulance was dispatched and he was taken to Christ Hospital.
An alarming discovery
Doctors at Christ's emergency room also struggled to determine the cause of Fryer's collapse, and he arrived at the hospital in an energetic mood with no further symptoms.
However, a chest scan showed he had developed a massive pulmonary embolism. A pulmonary embolism, or pulmonary embolism, is a blood clot that causes a blockage in the pulmonary arteries, the blood vessels that supply the lungs. The blockage forces the heart to work harder and can damage the heart.
Large PEs may have a 20% risk of death within 30 days. PE Fryer was concerned that Christ Doctors was concerned and called Dr. Scott Tatum, an interventional and vascular radiologist, for an evaluation.
© Christ Hospital Health Network / Smartwatch William Fryer alerted EMS that he was out for a walk when he passed out. Thanks to technology, his family members were also alerted to his fall, which helped save his life."I immediately thought maybe it was something that couldn't wait," Tatum said. "Maybe it's something I should see now."
Tatum went to the hospital and started asking Frye some questions. Fryer revealed that he was fine and that nothing unusual had happened since the crash. His demeanor was calm and showed no sign of the reason for the fall.
When Tatum did some typing trying to get an idea of how Fryer was doing compared to his baseline heart rate, he was surprised by what Fryer told him next. Fryer pulled out his phone and had detailed heart rate recordings from his Apple Watch for the past few months to show the doctor. These recordings helped Tatum decide what action to take. The doctor was able to determine the severity of the pulmonary embolism from the extent of heart rhythm and blood pressure abnormalities.
"I basically said I was afraid you'd be so bad if you didn't play it," Tatum said.
Fryer spent the night in the hospital while Tatum's team removed the blood clot from his lung. The surgery went well and Fryer responded well and was released from the hospital the next day.
"The automation of his watch allowed us to identify the problem very quickly and fix it very quickly," Tatum said. "Many patients with pulmonary embolism usually stay in the hospital for two or three days."
© Opinion / Josh Centers Smart watches, such as the Apple Watch, are increasingly being used as a means of notifying medical services of a fall or emergency.The growing trend of smartwatches as an asset
Fryer's story is not unique. There has been a growing trend towards the use of smartwatches for the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions who may need moment-to-moment assistance.
While many false alarms occur at the gym or during normal work, technology has been used to help those who need it most. Watches like the Apple Watch, FitBit, Google's Pixel Watch and Samsung's Galaxy Watch have settings that allow people to customize their response preferences.
In one case in Tampa, Florida, a teenager with a very high resting heart rate received an ambulance call and an abnormality report that diagnosed kidney failure.
In Utah, a man's slow heart rate was below normal, and FitBit began a journey to the hospital, where he learned he had a 50/50 chance of survival.
Another woman, a Florida mother of a 9-month-old baby hit by a drunk driver, quickly answered an emergency call on her watch because she couldn't find her phone in the wreckage, according to CNET.
Fryer set the watch to alert his daughter whenever something unusual happened. Since Fryer lives alone, he says, it gives both of them peace of mind.
"This part is important for family members," she said. "Wherever you land, I will call for help."
Tatum said that while every injury and medical condition is different, smartwatch technology offers a valuable resource that will continue to grow in use.
"Can I basically say for every patient in every scenario, would that be a lifesaver? No, but for this particular man, that was lifesaving equipment that he was using," she said.
This article originally appeared in the Cincinnati Enquirer: 'Lifesaving Gear': Ohio man takes decisive action after smartwatch call
