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Boca Raton Regional Hospital

Implements Long-Term

Monitoring System to Help

Prevent Future Stroke

Boca Raton Regional Hospital, part of Baptist Health South Florida, is the first hos-
pital in Palm Beach County to launch a long-term monitoring program for crypto-
genic stroke patients to help reduce their risk of a secondary stroke. The multidisci-
plinary stroke team at the Marcus Neuroscience Institute (MNI) offers the option to
insert a small implantable cardiac monitor to continuously monitor heart activity to
capture abnormal heartbeats and rhythms, which often go undetected and can
increase stroke risk significantly. This data is relayed quickly to specialty cardiac
physicians so that they can promptly initiate treatment when required.
The Cryptogenic Stroke Pathway program utilizes the Reveal LINQ system that
includes a cardiac monitor and bedside transmitter to relay critical information to
electrophysiologists at BRRH. The monitor analyzes heart data for any signs of atrial
fibrillation (AFib), irregular or rapid heartbeats. The device is implanted using a min-
imally-invasive procedure to avoid infection, reduce scarring and avoid any other
medical complications. The system allows patients to continue their everyday activi-
ties without any interference for up to three years.
“Patients that have suffered cryptogenic stroke often have undiagnosed atrial fibril-
lation or other cardiac complications months after being discharged from a hospital.
Traditional programs typically end weeks or even days after the initial stroke,” said
Brian Snelling, M.D., medical director of the Marilyn & Stanley Barry Center for
Cerebrovascular Disease & Stroke at MNI. “The Reveal LINQ system is enabling us
to detect heart disturbances on a long-term basis to facilitate proactive treatment
when needed.”
One of the first patients in the Cryptogenic Stroke Pathway program credits his life
to the Reveal LINQ system. The patient, Mohammed Elfadel, came to MNI in July
2018 with a life-threatening large vessel occlusion stroke without a known cause. He
received mechanical thrombectomy and was implanted with the Reveal LINQ cardiac
monitor prior to discharge. Nearly one year later, the MNI electrophysiologist team
detected Afib in Mohammed which required him to immediately switch medications.
MNI has maintained a 100% stroke pathway percentage since the implementation
of the Reveal LINQ.
Many hospitals have protocol for patients who have experienced an ischemic
stroke, only a select few implemented a long-term monitoring program designed
specifically to cryptogenic stroke.

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