14th International Congress
THE "NEW FRONTIERS"
OF ARRHYTHMIAS 2000

Jan. 29 - Feb. 5, 2000
Marilleva, Trento, Italy

RT-182

Electromagnetic interference with pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators

Maurizio Santomauro, Angelo Costanzo, Luca Ottaviano, Raffaele Cresta, Massimo Chiariello.
Department of cardiology and cardiac surgery, University Federico II, Naples, Italy

Abstract

BACKGROUND. Non-ionizing radiation is emitted by a different types of equipment such as microwave ovens, hight-voltage electrical lines, cellular phones, etc. This kind of radiation can cause interference. Many electronic medical devices such as pacemakers (PM) and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) can malfunction as a consequence of electromagnetic interference (EMI).

Today, PM and ICD patients are exposed to a myriad of new sources of electromagnetic fields: at home, work, and other everyday environments. Cellular phones have become the most recent concern.

The outcome of the effect of EMI on the PM and ICD can be pacing inhibition by triggering of a ventricular pacing rhythm that is more rapid with VDD and DDD PM, or asynchronous pacing, or other pacing modes.

Our study has evaluated the possible negative effects of environmental electromagnetic radiation on PM and ICD, which increase the possible health risk for patients due to PM and ICD malfunction.

METHODS. We evaluated the effects of magnetic field with damped wave form motion in the anechoic chamber on four single chamber PMs (VVI) and two ICD. PM and ICD were immersed in magnetic field with damped wave form motion at variable current amplitudes (400 impulse/s, from 10-15-20-30-40-50-60-80 voltage/control, current range 100 A). The susceptibility was demonstrated at 70±80 voltage/control.

RESULTS. PM parameters did not change between 200 and 1000 MHz. However, from 30 to 220 MHz we observed temporary malfunctions on all four PMs tested (particularly between 40.78 and 87.85 MHz).

CONCLUSION. EMI is a well-known and long recognized problem that can interfere with implanted electronic medical devices.

Our in vitro results show that operating ETACS cellular phones do not interfere with PMs and ICD. As a matter of fact, we did not observe any malfunction when irradiating PMs and ICD with frequencies in the 220-1000 MHz range.

On the other hand, operating GSM cellular phones might interfere with PMs and ICD.

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