Description of Event or Problem · 1
MY HUSBAND, (B)(6), HAD A REVEAL LING CARDIAC MONITOR INSERT ON (B)(6) 2015 BY (B)(6) DUE TO A COUPLE OF EPISODES OF FAINTING THAT THE EMERGENCY ROOM DOCTORS THOUGHT MIGHT BE HEARTBEAT IRREGULARITY. WE WERE GIVEN A MEDTRONIC MYCARELINK PT MONITOR MODEL 24950 BY THE MEDTRONIC REPRESENTATIVE TO PLACE BESIDE HIS BED TO RECORD HIM NIGHTLY. WE MET WITH THE CARDIOLOGIST, DR. (B)(6) ON (B)(6) AND (B)(6) SAID MY HUSBAND HAD NOT SHOWN ANY SIGNS TO IRREGULAR HEARTBEAT OR STOPPAGE SINCE (B)(6), BUT WE WOULD LEAVE THE REVEAL LINQ INSERTED IN FOR A FEW MORE MONTHS. (B)(6) ENTERED THE HOSPITAL ON (B)(6) 2015 AROUND 2 PM FOR CHEMOTHERAPY AND SALINE CLEANSING TREATMENT FOR HIS MULTIPLE MYELOMA. HE WAS RELEASED ON (B)(6) 2015. I NOTICED SWELLING IN HIS LEGS ON SUNDAY MORNING, (B)(6) AND TOOK HIM TO THE DR'S OFFICE. HIS HEART RATE WAS 208. HE WAS TAKEN TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM AT (B)(6) HOSPITAL IN (B)(6). THEY CALLED MEDTRONIC AND THERE WAS NO RECORD OF HIS HEART RATES FROM THE MYCARELINK MODEL 24950 SINCE (B)(6) AROUND 2:00 AM. A MEDTRONIC TECHNICIAN WAS CALLED IN AND 2 HOURS LATER, THEY WERE ABLE TO RETRIEVE THE RECORDINGS OFF THE INSERTED DEVICE SINCE WE HAD THE PORTABLE RECORDER WITH US AND HIS HEART RATE HAD BEEN 208 FOR OVER 36 HOURS. MY HUSBAND DIED (B)(6) OF ORGAN FAILURE DUE TO THE LENGTH OF TIME HIS HEART RATE HAD BEEN SO HIGH. WHEN I WENT HOME, I CHECKED BY MYCARELINK PATIENT MONITOR AND THE LAST RECORDING WAS (B)(6). I WAS BESIDE MYSELF WITH ANGUISH THAT I DID NOT KNOW THE MACHINE HAD NOT BEEN CHECKING HIM ONCE WE RETURNED HOME FROM THE HOSPITAL ON (B)(6). I LEFT THE MACHINE SITTING BESIDE OUR BED. IT WASN'T DOING ANYTHING. SUDDENLY, ON (B)(6), THE MONITOR CAME ON IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT ABOUT 2 AM AND STAYED ON UNTIL AROUND 6 AM. I LEFT IT SITTING TO SEE WHEN IT WOULD COME ON AGAIN. IT CAME ON AGAIN ON (B)(6). FROM THAT POINT ON IT CAME ON EVERY 15 DAYS AND THEN THE LAST TIME IT CAME ON IT STAYED ON 24 HOURS UNTIL IT JUST SHUT OFF COMPLETELY (B)(6) ONLY TO COME BACK ON (B)(6). THE MONITOR HAD REPROGRAMMED ITSELF AND KEEPS REPROGRAMMING ITSELF. THIS IS A SERIOUS MALFUNCTION OF THIS MACHINE. MY HUSBAND HAD MORE TIME LEFT, BUT HIS LIFE WAS CUT SHORT BECAUSE THE MONITOR REPROGRAMMED ITSELF AND FAILED TO RECORD HIM AND ALERT US THAT HE WAS IN TROUBLE. I DON'T WANT ANYONE ELSE TO EVER GO THROUGH WHAT I HAVE BEEN THROUGH. THE MANUAL SAYS NOTHING ABOUT THE PT CHECKING THE MACHINE EVERYDAY TO MAKE SURE ITS WORKING. ALSO, THE MANUAL INDICATES THAT THE DOCTORS OFFICE IS CHECKING THE REPORTS AND ACCORDING TO DR. (B)(6), HE DOESN'T CHECK ANYTHING - JUST PUTS THE DEVICE IN THE PT. DR. (B)(6) SAID HE GOT THE REPORTS FROM DR. (B)(6) WHENEVER MY HUSBAND HAS AN APPOINTMENT WITH HIM. IT APPEARS THAT MEDTRONIC HAS A SIMILAR PRODUCT CARELINK MODEL 2490C WHICH HAD A RECALL DUE TO A SOFTWARE ERROR. I THINK THE MONITOR WE HAVE DEFINITELY HAS A SOFTWARE MALFUNCTION.