[Effect of mobile phone on life-saving and life-sustaining systems].
Irnich W, Tobisch R · 1998
View Original AbstractMobile phones can interfere with life-support equipment, but actual danger is rare and preventable with 1-meter separation distances.
Plain English Summary
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.
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/},
}