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[Effect of mobile phone on life-saving and life-sustaining systems].

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Irnich W, Tobisch R · 1998

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Mobile phones can interfere with life-support equipment, but actual danger is rare and preventable with 1-meter separation distances.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

German researchers tested how mobile phones interfere with 224 life-saving medical devices like respirators and defibrillators across 2,016 different scenarios. They found that while interference can occur, dangerous situations are extremely rare because multiple factors must align simultaneously and medical devices have built-in safety features. The study concluded that blanket hospital bans on mobile phones are based on theoretical fears rather than actual evidence, recommending instead a simple 1-meter distance rule from medical equipment.

Why This Matters

This 1998 study represents crucial early research into electromagnetic interference with medical devices, an issue that remains relevant as wireless technology proliferates in healthcare settings. The researchers' systematic approach, testing over 2,000 scenarios, provides solid evidence that mobile phone interference with life-support equipment, while possible, requires multiple simultaneous conditions to create actual danger. What this means for you is that the electromagnetic fields from mobile phones can affect sensitive electronic equipment, but the risk is manageable with proper precautions. The study's recommendation for maintaining distance from medical devices reflects a principle that applies beyond hospitals - EMF sources can interfere with sensitive electronics, and simple distance creates effective protection.

Exposure Information

Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.

Study Details

We believe that a general ban in hospitals is problematic, we decided to investigate the influence of mobile telephone on life-saving and/or life-support systems, with the aim of establishing rules for its use in hospitals. We investigated available phones of varying power of the C-, D- and E-net, as also of a cordless phone meeting the DECT standard. The aim was to identify the devices susceptible to interference and determine the minimum distances at which interference occurred.

A total of 224 devices classified into 23 types of devices were examined. Nine different sets of tra...

Our results permit the conclusion that the ban on mobile phones in hospitals is based not on actual ...

With regard to emergency telephones, the minimum distance to medical devices should be at least 1.5 metres.

Cite This Study
Irnich W, Tobisch R (1998). [Effect of mobile phone on life-saving and life-sustaining systems]. Biomed Tech (Berl) 43(6):164-173, 1998.
Show BibTeX
@article{w_1998_effect_of_mobile_phone_2231,
  author = {Irnich W and Tobisch R},
  title = {[Effect of mobile phone on life-saving and life-sustaining systems].},
  year = {1998},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9677757/},
}
PubMed: 9677757

Cited By (6 papers)

Quick Questions About This Study

Yes, cell phones can interfere with medical equipment, but dangerous situations are extremely rare. German researchers tested 224 life-saving devices and found that while interference occurs, multiple factors must align simultaneously and medical devices have built-in safety features that prevent serious harm.
Mobile phones are generally safe near hospital equipment when kept at least 1 meter away. A comprehensive study of 224 medical devices found that blanket hospital phone bans are based on theoretical fears rather than actual evidence of dangerous interference events.
Cell phones can potentially interfere with pacemakers and defibrillators, but serious problems are very uncommon. Research testing life-saving devices found that dangerous situations require multiple coincidences to occur simultaneously, and modern medical equipment includes fail-safe features for protection.
Phones should be kept at least 1 meter from medical devices, with emergency phones maintaining 1.5 meters distance. This simple rule prevents the rare interference scenarios identified in testing of 224 life-saving medical systems across over 2,000 different situations.
Hospital cell phone bans are largely unnecessary according to research evidence. Testing of 224 medical devices showed that blanket bans stem from theoretical concerns rather than actual dangerous events, with simple distance rules being more practical and effective.