In-vivo testing of digital cellular telephones in patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators.
Chiladakis JA, Davlouros P, Agelopoulos G, Manolis AS. · 2001
View Original AbstractDigital cell phones don't interfere with implantable defibrillators during normal use, though minor effects occurred near programming equipment.
Plain English Summary
Researchers tested digital cell phones (GSM and DCS 1800) on 36 patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) to see if the phones would interfere with these life-saving heart devices. While the phones caused some minor sensing errors when held very close to programming equipment, they did not damage the devices, trigger inappropriate shocks, or prevent proper pacing. The study concluded that digital cell phones pose no significant risk to patients with these specific ICD models.
Why This Matters
This study addresses a critical safety concern for the millions of people worldwide who depend on implantable cardioverter-defibrillators to prevent sudden cardiac death. The reality is that electromagnetic interference from everyday devices can potentially disrupt these life-saving implants, making this research directly relevant to public health. What this means for you is reassuring: the study found that digital cell phones operating at typical power levels don't pose a meaningful threat to modern ICDs, even when used in close proximity to the body. However, the minor interference detected when phones were held very close to programming equipment suggests that EMF interactions with medical devices remain a legitimate area of concern that requires ongoing monitoring as wireless technologies continue to evolve.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.
Study Details
To investigate the susceptibility of implantable cardioverter defibrillators to electromagnetic interference generated by digital cellular telephones, functioning in both international transmission technologies: the Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) and the Digital Cellular System (DCS 1800).
In 36 patients with transvenous implantable cardioverter defibrillators from two manufacturers (Medt...
There was no damage, reprogramming, inappropriate shock therapy or pacing inhibition during the test...
Digital cellular telephones do not represent a risk to Medtronic and Guidant/CPI recipients of the specific implantable defibrillator models herein tested.
Show BibTeX
@article{ja_2001_invivo_testing_of_digital_1980,
author = {Chiladakis JA and Davlouros P and Agelopoulos G and Manolis AS.},
title = {In-vivo testing of digital cellular telephones in patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators.},
year = {2001},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11465966/},
}