WEDNESDAY, Sept. 22, 2004 (HealthDayNews) -- In the high-tech world of cardiology, few things are guaranteed other than high cost. But now, a doctor says a simple Post-it note can play a role in diagnosing heart disease -- and no, it's not a matter of writing something down and sticking the note on the refrigerator.
The shaking of a Post-it note acts as a warning sign when placed on the bodies of people with some kinds of heart problems, said Dr. Daniel Shindler, associate professor of medicine at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.
While the ubiquitous Post-it notes won't replace more expensive diagnostic machines, they can help doctors figure out that something is wrong during a physical examination, Shindler said. "It allows me to diagnose the motion of the heart from the outside, from the surface. It's very, very cheap, and you can do it over and over," he said.
Shindler, who runs an ultrasound laboratory, reports his suggestions about the use of Post-it notes in a research letter appearing in the Sept. 23 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Post-it notes, a product of the 3M company, first appeared in 1980. The small notes with sticky backs act as tiny reminders of phone numbers and things-to-do in countless homes and offices.
Inspired by a 1966 study of the detection of heart problems, Shindler discovered an unknown benefit to Post-it notes when he folded one into an L-shape and placed it on the body of a patient, with the bottom of the "L" sticking up like a flag. When placed on a pulse point -- such as the neck -- the note moves in conjunction with the workings of the heart. "Any pulse that you feel with your fingers, you now see with your eyes," he said.
That may not sound very helpful, but pulses tell much more than how fast the heart is beating. The cycle of a heartbeat can reveal a "twice-beating heart" or a "triple ripple," in which the heart is too muscular and twitches three times, Shindler said.
In addition to assisting the diagnosis of patients, the Post-it note test helps teachers because it allows several people to observe the beating of the heart at once, he said.
Dr. Jerry Glassman, a cardiologist at Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego, said the Post-it note test could indeed improve the accuracy of physical examinations by revealing things like heart valve problems. But other tests will remain the ultimate diagnostic tools, he said.
"It's sad to say that physical examination has become a weaker part of our everyday activity, but we have sophisticated tests which are noninvasive that will give us more sophistication than our ears, our fingertips, and even our eyes with this technique."
More information
Learn about the history of the Post-it note from its manufacturer, 3M.
