PMcardio receives FDA Breakthrough Device Designation — read the full story
Dr. Hana Hybasek Dzurikova
19. July 2024

Dr. Schmelzer’s Turning Point: How a Severe Chest Pain Case Inspired PMcardio Adoption

Dr. Christopher R. Schmelzer, MD

As a residency-trained emergency physician from the University of Michigan with 17 years of experience, Dr. Schmelzer, has witnessed firsthand the critical importance of accurate and timely cardiac diagnosis. His center manages an annual volume of 89,000 visits, and precision in cardiac care is paramount.

”One case that profoundly impacted my approach involved a 76-year-old woman who presented to a rural emergency department with severe chest pain and multiple risk factors for coronary artery disease. Initial assessments, including ECGs and high-sensitivity troponin tests, were inconclusive, yet her chest pain persisted. When transferred to our referral center, her condition was still ambiguous based on traditional methods, leading to delayed cardiac catheterization.

This case prompted Dr. Schmelzer to delve into the nuances of Occlusive Myocardial Infarction (OMI) versus the conventional STEMI/NSTEMI classification. His research led him to the discovery of PMcardio, an AI-powered ECG interpretation platform. 

”Feeding the patient’s EKGs into the PMcardio’s model consistently indicated an OMI, underscoring the need for immediate intervention.’’

Dr. Schmelzer's Turning Point: How a Severe Chest Pain Case Inspired PMcardio Adoption

‘’PMcardio eliminates many challenges in diagnosing OMI. It reduces inter-observer variability and simplifies the complex subtleties of OMI detection, far surpassing traditional methods. This tool levels the playing field across various medical professionals, ensuring consistent and reliable cardiac assessments.”

Armed with PMcardio, Dr. Schmelzer now confidently shares anonymized digitized ECGs with cardiology colleagues, advocating for the adoption of advanced diagnostic approaches. 

Dr. Schmelzer's Turning Point: How a Severe Chest Pain Case Inspired PMcardio Adoption

”PMcardio has the transformative potential to revolutionize cardiac care by ensuring early activation of the cath lab for OMI cases and providing a robust first-level screen for potential transfers from referring hospitals. This advancement is a crucial step towards optimizing cardiac care and improving long-term patient outcomes.” 

Dr. Schmelzer's Turning Point: How a Severe Chest Pain Case Inspired PMcardio Adoption
Dr. Schmelzer's Turning Point: How a Severe Chest Pain Case Inspired PMcardio Adoption

Pin Down Occlusive MI with Certified AI

Dr. Schmelzer's Turning Point: How a Severe Chest Pain Case Inspired PMcardio Adoption
Dr. Schmelzer's Turning Point: How a Severe Chest Pain Case Inspired PMcardio Adoption

Dr. Hana Hybasek Dzurikova

Dr. Hana Hybasek Dzurikova is a medical educator driving innovation and change in health professions education through technology-enhanced learning.
Dr. Hana Hybasek Dzurikova is a medical educator driving innovation and change in health professions education through technology-enhanced learning.
About PMcardio:

PMcardio is a CE-certified AI that reads ECGs and offers a complex assessment of 49 cardiac conditions. Clinically validated in 15+ studies and trusted by over 100,000 clinicians, it delivers rapid, expert‑level interpretations, empowering emergency physicians, GPs, nurses, paramedics, and cardiologists to act with confidence at the point of care. Available for Individuals and Organizations.

About Powerful Medical:

Established in 2017, Powerful Medical has embarked on a mission to revolutionize the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. We are a medical company backed by 28 world-class cardiologists and led by our expert Scientific Board with decades of experience in daily patient care, clinical research, and medical devices. The results of our research are implemented, developed, certified, and brought to market by our 50+ strong interdisciplinary team of physicians, data scientists, AI experts, software engineers, regulatory specialists, and commercial teams.

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