Remote monitoring lets heart patient keep at the things she loves

Living life to its fullest is important to Milwaukee resident Micki Brittan.

Thanks to the Remote Hemodynamic Monitoring Program at Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center, Brittan has more energy and more freedom to do the things she loves – knitting and taking KC, her beloved therapy dog, to meet with patients.

Brittan has lived with heart failure and atrial fibrillation for 30 years. Recently, she found she was often tired and had difficulty breathing. Those symptoms led to an appointment with the Remote Hematology Monitoring Program team.

Brittan had a device implanted that allows her care team to remotely monitor pulmonary artery pressure and fluid buildup. When those readings shift, her team can quickly make medication changes to better manage symptoms.

“This technology allows us to monitor fluctuations fluid levels in that specific blood vessel,” says Christina Sauld, a nurse practitioner at Aurora St. Luke’s. “So, if the numbers go up, we can proactively call the patient and recommend medication adjustments.”

Aurora St. Luke’s has implanted more than 450 remote hemodynamic monitoring devices in the past decade, giving patients like Brittan the opportunity to live life more fully.

Before receiving the device, Brittan said she had to constantly monitor her symptoms. It felt like a full-time job.

“I was logging my weight and logging what I ate,” she says. “If I went up two pounds, I’d get an emergency phone call and have to head to the lab for blood work. I’d get more medication and then we’d play with dosage again and again.”

Now, she’s focusing on the present.

“There’s a lot less fear of getting out and doing things,” she says, which translates to peace of mind.

For Brittan, that means knitting and taking KC to hospitals, clinics and even the stage. KC, a bearded collie, recently made her stage debut in a production of A Rockin’ Midsummer Night’s Dream.

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