Cleveland man’s life saved by Apple Watch

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - A man’s life was saved after his Apple Watch detected a change in respiratory rate that led him to a life-threatening diagnosis, according to a press release from Apple.

Ken Counihan is 62-years-old and wears his Apple Watch to track his daily runs, the release says.

Officials say that on the morning of October 13 Ken received a Trends notification through the Health app that his respiratory rate had increased over a six-week period from 14 to 17 breaths per minute.

Counihan consulted his son, a fourth-year medical student, and went to Urgent Care where he was diagnosed with bronchitis, the release says.

Counihan’s watch tracked his blood oxygen levels drop from the mid-90s to mid-80s the night of October 13, officials say.

The release says a visit to the ER confirmed massive clots in Counihan’s lungs.

Officials say Counihan is now feeling much better and is seeing his physician monthly, who says if he waited one more day to see a physician, he may not have been around.

Dr. Lucy Franjic, Emergency Medicine physician at Cleveland Clinic who treated Mr. Counihan, said that wearable technology doesn’t substitute for seeing a doctor when something is not right, but it can help doctors see trends in a patient’s health quickly and point them in the right direction as they work to diagnose a problem. It also can help patients be better advocates for themselves. “It lets them be their own detective,” she said.

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