Apple Watch helps diagnose something it wasn't designed to find

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in Apple Watch edited March 2023
A Cleveland man has credited the Apple Watch with saving his life, after a series of different alerts drove him to get medical attention.

Apple Watch
Apple Watch


In October, Ken Counihan was informed by his Apple Watch that his breathing was elevated. The wearable device advised that he had gone from an average of 14 breaths per minute to around 18 per minute.

"My wife had me make a phone call to my son and he suggested I go to the outpatient care, get it looked at, which is what I did," Counihan told News 5 Cleveland. "And they did just an X-ray. And they gave me some meds for bronchitis at the time."

While he thought that was all, the Apple Watch raised a connected alert, which prompted further testing.

"My blood oxygen - which is normally mid-90s, which is what it is supposed to be, kind of 95 and up - started to get out to the mid-80s," he explained. The late-night alert didn't worry the man, but under the urging of his concerned family, he went to ER once again.

Using figures he had gathered from the Apple Watch, doctors ordered more scans and discovered blood clots in his lungs. His doctor advised that, had he not sought help, approximately 60% of people at that stage may not have survived the night.

Now on blood thinners, Counihan is happy and thankful that the Apple Watch pointed him in the right direction. While the Apple Watch cannot directly diagnose medical issues, it seems the various alerts and metrics it compiles about a user was enough to point doctors in the right direction.

"I've got friends that have gone out and bought an Apple Watch as a result," he told the report. "I just had dinner with a friend the other night and he's looking to get an Apple Watch now as well. It saved my life. It's amazing."

The Apple Watch has repeatedly been cited as a catalyst for life-saving assistance since its release. Earlier in March, it helped a British author discover an undiagnosed heart problem, while the Crash Detection feature helped medics reach a vehicle involved in a car crash in Germany, after it had been thrown 60 feet below the road.

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 12
    chasmchasm Posts: 3,303member
    I never, ever get tired of reading these amazing stories. So glad I got on board the Apple Watch bandwagon on day one, particularly going forward.
    edited March 2023 ZexLwatto_cobraJaiOh81dewmeronnmacguigregoriusmjony0
  • Reply 2 of 12
    bwikbwik Posts: 565member
    Beep beep, you have syphilis 
    bigmikewatto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 12
    dewmedewme Posts: 5,368member
    Very interesting.

    I have a 5th Gen Apple Watch and it does not have the oxygen monitoring feature. Does the oxygen monitoring feature run continuously in the background? If so, I may be inclined to get a newer Apple Watch. 
    ronn
  • Reply 4 of 12
    mjpbuymjpbuy Posts: 18member
    yes it does monitor continuously - although only when one is relatively still.
    You can also initiate your own scan - and it instructs you to hold you arm level and still for the scanning time of some seconds.

    I notice after having OVID my O2 levels decrease tot eh low 90% from the mid-95%, but not enough to be alarmed about, but below 90% with no reason is something to one should check.
    ronndewmegregoriusmjony0
  • Reply 5 of 12
    waveparticlewaveparticle Posts: 1,497member
    Very interesting story. Thanks. Maybe AI can write an article explaining how to use Apple Watch to look at such things. It looks like the medical community does not know Apple Watch has advanced to such level. 
  • Reply 6 of 12
    HunterSchultzHunterSchultz Posts: 1member
    Love these stories. But, I suggest one ask a vital question. Where was primary care in this? Sadly, he went to the most expensive treatment place. Most likely because his primary care doctor, assuming he has one, wasn’t accessible in a timely manner. The old, antiquated and now radioactive system is stacked against people. 

    I wish some journalist would follow up on what those visits cost him. (Read Marshall Allan’s book, Never Pay the First Bill.)

    The new and far better alternative is having a direct primary care (DPC) doc. One that you text, or call, before going to an ER. They are far more accessible and way less expensive. 


    ronngregoriusm
  • Reply 7 of 12
    waveparticlewaveparticle Posts: 1,497member
    HunterSchultz said:
    Love these stories. But, I suggest one ask a vital question. Where was primary care in this? Sadly, he went to the most expensive treatment place. Most likely because his primary care doctor, assuming he has one, wasn’t accessible in a timely manner. The old, antiquated and now radioactive system is stacked against people. 

    I wish some journalist would follow up on what those visits cost him. (Read Marshall Allan’s book, Never Pay the First Bill.)

    The new and far better alternative is having a direct primary care (DPC) doc. One that you text, or call, before going to an ER. They are far more accessible and way less expensive. 


    He has two grandkids. He is most probably insured by Medicare. 
  • Reply 8 of 12
    Nanaof265Nanaof265 Posts: 1member
    Apple watch 6th gen and newer have O2 sensor. My apple watch alerted me to low sats at night. My doctor did some tests and found I have mild sleep apnea with nocturnal hypoxia, basically low O2 levels. I started using oxygen at night to sleep and my sats are much better. 
    dewmegregoriusm
  • Reply 9 of 12
    MplsPMplsP Posts: 3,929member
    HunterSchultz said:
    Love these stories. But, I suggest one ask a vital question. Where was primary care in this? Sadly, he went to the most expensive treatment place. Most likely because his primary care doctor, assuming he has one, wasn’t accessible in a timely manner. The old, antiquated and now radioactive system is stacked against people. 

    I wish some journalist would follow up on what those visits cost him. (Read Marshall Allan’s book, Never Pay the First Bill.)

    The new and far better alternative is having a direct primary care (DPC) doc. One that you text, or call, before going to an ER. They are far more accessible and way less expensive. 


    This wasn’t a primary care problem - the ER was absolutely appropriate for him. ERs exist for a reason.

    According to the story he was suffering from clinically significant hypoxia caused by multiple pulmonary emboli. Had he presented to an outpatient clinic they likely would have sent him to the ER anyway. Please don’t comment on topics you lack the knowledge to judge.
    mike1dewmeramanpfaffgregoriusmunbeliever2
  • Reply 10 of 12
    mike1mike1 Posts: 3,286member
    MplsP said:
    HunterSchultz said:
    Love these stories. But, I suggest one ask a vital question. Where was primary care in this? Sadly, he went to the most expensive treatment place. Most likely because his primary care doctor, assuming he has one, wasn’t accessible in a timely manner. The old, antiquated and now radioactive system is stacked against people. 

    I wish some journalist would follow up on what those visits cost him. (Read Marshall Allan’s book, Never Pay the First Bill.)

    The new and far better alternative is having a direct primary care (DPC) doc. One that you text, or call, before going to an ER. They are far more accessible and way less expensive. 


    This wasn’t a primary care problem - the ER was absolutely appropriate for him. ERs exist for a reason.

    According to the story he was suffering from clinically significant hypoxia caused by multiple pulmonary emboli. Had he presented to an outpatient clinic they likely would have sent him to the ER anyway. Please don’t comment on topics you lack the knowledge to judge.

    And it clearly stated it was late night. No primary care doc would have been available anyway.
    dewmegregoriusmunbeliever2
  • Reply 11 of 12
    charlesncharlesn Posts: 838member
    HunterSchultz said:
    Love these stories. But, I suggest one ask a vital question. Where was primary care in this? Sadly, he went to the most expensive treatment place. Most likely because his primary care doctor, assuming he has one, wasn’t accessible in a timely manner. The old, antiquated and now radioactive system is stacked against people. 

    I wish some journalist would follow up on what those visits cost him. (Read Marshall Allan’s book, Never Pay the First Bill.)

    The new and far better alternative is having a direct primary care (DPC) doc. One that you text, or call, before going to an ER. They are far more accessible and way less expensive. 


    Oh, geez... even a good news "Apple watch saved this man's life" story has to turn into a political diatribe?! Give me a break and use some common sense before heading out with your pitchfork and torch. A PCP is not available at all hours nor would one have had a radiology dept to do the kind of scans that saved this man's life. Best case, the PCP, even during office hours, would have sent to the ER to get the tests done--which would have only wasted time and possibly cost this man his life. Same with the DCP. What good would texting or calling a DCD have done? Best case, the doc sends you to the ER anyway--but this wastes valuable time. Worst case, the doc tells him to stay home and he dies in bed that night. 
    unbeliever2
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