Matters of the Heart: Cardiac Telemetry Saves Kids’ Lives

A small team on MS7, one of Connecticut Children’s medical-surgical units, is quietly transforming the way young patients with heart conditions are monitored and treated. Cardiac telemetry, a tool common in adult hospitals, is rare in pediatric care. But here, it’s become a critical part of ensuring that kids with congenital heart defects get the specialized attention they need.

A cardiac telemetry system consists of adhesive sensors that attach to a patient’s chest, wireless transmitters, and a central monitoring station where trained technicians keep a constant eye on the data. It allows clinicians to track a child’s heart rate and rhythm in real time. If an abnormal rhythm or a dangerously fast or slow heartbeat is detected, the technician on duty can immediately alert a nurse.

“There are many children that are born with congenital heart defects and even the slightest changes in their heart rhythm can have a big impact on their overall health, their growth, and their care,” said Risa Squires, Clinical Education Specialist.

The telemetry unit transmits information about a patient’s heart to a display monitor in another room that is watched around the clock by a trained telemetry technician.

A telemetry program where we have a dedicated person watching 24/7 for any of those slight changes is really important, so we can provide the best care for the patient.
Risa Squires, Clinical Education Specialist

Kids are free to move and stay active

Unlike hardwired monitoring systems that keep a patient tethered to a bed or room, the wireless monitors allow children to walk the hallways and participate in activities on the unit, carrying the monitor in a small cloth pouch that can be worn like a backpack or purse. This mobility is not just freedom, it’s also a medical benefit that improves mood and helps patients heal faster. The wireless technology also means a patient’s heart can be monitored when they leave MS7 for imaging or care in other parts of the hospital.

Cardiac telemetry also allows children with heart conditions to be cared for on MS7 instead of in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). “Part of the reason we launched this program was to help expedite kids out of the ICU,” said MS7 nurse manager Ashley Canfield, RN. “There were children who previously would have remained within our PICU based on needing a higher level of focused attention than an inpatient medical-surgical unit could offer. This program has allowed us to take patients out of the PICU and free up intensive care beds while still providing that same level of attention for their cardiac issues.”

Each telemetry unit is powered by a rechargeable battery.

A small but specialized team

Launched in 2023 on, appropriately enough, Valentine’s Day, Connecticut Children’s cardiac telemetry program was five years in the making. Because most telemetry training and certification focuses on adult patients, finding and training pediatric technicians took time. Today, MS7 has a core team of six full- and part-time staff, with two per diem technicians.

Right now, Connecticut Children’s has four wireless telemetry units and one battery charging system, so cardiac telemetry is currently available only on MS7. Expanding the program would be a costly endeavor. A single telemetry unit costs over $5,000. An additional charging station would run $2,865 and each rechargeable battery is $702. Canfield would like to see the program expand to other floors of the hospital, so physicians don’t have to choose between sending a patient to MS7 for cardiac monitoring and keeping them on a more appropriate floor. “Being in the right place for the right care is important,” she said.

Your support of the Greatest Need Children’s Fund allows Connecticut Children’s to purchase lifesaving tools like cardiac telemetry monitoring systems.