Anti-hijacking Efforts and Cardiac Pacemakers—Report of a Clinical Study
Oliver C. Hood, John M. Keshishian, Nicholas P. D. Smyth, Edward Podolak, Archie A. Hoffman, Norman R. Baker · 1972
Airport security systems in 1972 were found to interfere with cardiac pacemakers, establishing real-world EMF medical device risks.
Plain English Summary
This 1972 study examined how airport metal detectors and weapons screening systems could interfere with cardiac pacemakers in passengers. The research identified electromagnetic interference risks that could potentially disrupt pacemaker function during security screening. This was among the first clinical investigations into EMF effects on implanted medical devices.
Why This Matters
This pioneering 1972 research represents a watershed moment in recognizing how electromagnetic fields from security equipment could interfere with life-sustaining medical devices. The study emerged during aviation's early adoption of anti-hijacking measures, when airports began installing metal detectors and screening systems that generated electromagnetic fields strong enough to disrupt cardiac pacemakers.
What makes this research particularly significant is its real-world context. Unlike laboratory studies, this examined actual interference occurring in airport environments where people with pacemakers encountered security screening daily. The findings helped establish protocols that airports still follow today, requiring alternative screening methods for passengers with implanted devices. This study demonstrates how EMF interference isn't just a theoretical concern but a documented medical reality that required immediate policy changes to protect vulnerable populations.
Figures from the Original Paper
Diagrams extracted from the original research document.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. Duration: 5 to 10 seconds
Study Details
To evaluate the effects of the Westinghouse WD-4 weapons detector electromagnetic field on patients with implanted cardiac pacemakers, specifically to determine if exposure to the device would cause clinically significant changes in pacemaker function.
The study was conducted in the Washington Medical Clinic, FAA, 800 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washin...
A total of 53 patients with permanently implanted pacemakers were exposed to the active magnetometer...
An external electromagnetic field used in a weapon detector system (WD-4) may produce minor changes in the rate of certain pacemakers, specifically the sensitive unipolar atrial or the atrial or atrio-ventricular pacing systems. These changes were clinically insignificant to the patient and to the pacing system. Other systems, such as unipolar fixed rate, and unipolar and bipolar ventricular pacemakers were totally unaffected. The weapons detector studied (WD-4) was determined to be safe for use in the public environment of an airport. Recommendation for its use was made to FAA Research & Development officials. The WD-4 may now be implemented as another method for detecting objects that could be used in the hijacking of aircraft.
Show BibTeX
@article{anti_hijacking_efforts_and_cardiac_pacemakers_report_of_a_clinical_study_g94,
author = {Oliver C. Hood and John M. Keshishian and Nicholas P. D. Smyth and Edward Podolak and Archie A. Hoffman and Norman R. Baker},
title = {Anti-hijacking Efforts and Cardiac Pacemakers—Report of a Clinical Study},
year = {1972},
}