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www.mast-victims.org forum / Lounge / Heart pacemakers and/or defibrillators - Any interference sources ?
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AF
# Posted: 28 Aug 2013 17:26
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Has anyone had any experience of heart pacemakers /defibriillators?

i have recently been in hospital with atrial fibrillation and was discharged with drugs which make me feel awful.
The alternative was a pacemaker.

Has anyone experienced any problems with these from microwave frequency emitting devices - phone/ phone masts/ DECT phones/ Wifi / smart meters?
Or aircraft. Or anything else?

Thanks

Henrik
Admin
# Posted: 28 Aug 2013 18:57
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Hi AF,

Copied from iPhone manual, page 147:

Medical devices:
iPhone contains radios that emit electromagnetic fields. These electromagnetic fields may interfere with pacemakers or other medical devices. If you wear a pacemaker, maintain at least 6 inches (approximately 15 cm) of separation between your pacemaker and iPhone. If you suspect iPhone is interfering with your pacemaker or any other medical device, stop using iPhone and consult your physician for information specific to your medical device. iPhone has magnets near the bottom, and the included headphones also have magnets in the earbuds, which may interfere with pacemakers, defibrillators or other medical devices. Maintain at least 6 inches (approximately 15 cm) of separation between your pacemaker or defibrillator and iPhone or the earbuds.

ME
# Posted: 28 Aug 2013 20:27
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Thank you Henrik,

Also -
Blackberry_Z10_Smartphone
STL 100-1Safety and product information

http://docs.blackberry.com/en/smartphone_users/deliverables/49844/BlackBerry_Z10_Smar tphone-Safety_and_Product_Information-1339609158831-en.pdf

page 1 - by the heart symbol

Keep your Blackberry device away from medical devices, including pacemakers and hearing aids, because they might malfunction and cause serious harm or death to you or others.

AF
# Posted: 28 Aug 2013 20:28
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Thanks.
AF

AF
# Posted: 4 Sep 2013 20:21
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A long article [26 pages] about pace makers and sources of interference.
AF
=================

http://cdn.intechopen.com/pdfs/13783/InTech-Electromagnetic_interference_of_the_pacem akers.pdf

Title: Electromagnetic Interference of Pacemakers
Authors:
Umashankar Lakshmanadoss MD
Priya Chinnachamy MD
P Daubert MD

AF
# Posted: 6 Sep 2013 20:21
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Modern Pacemakers - Present and Future
Edited by Mithilesh Kumar Das, ISBN 978-953-307-214-2, Hard cover, 610 pages, Publisher: InTech, Chapters published February 14, 2011 under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 license

http://www.intechopen.com/books/modern-pacemakers-present-and-future

You can get the whole book online.

It is also published as a hard-backed book.
AF

Henrik
Admin
# Posted: 26 Sep 2013 13:00
Reply 


This just in:

"Interference between Active Implanted Medical Devices and Electromagnetic Field Emitting Devices is Rare but Real: Results of an Incidence Study in a Population of Physicians in France"
Hours et al. Journal of Pacing and Clinical Electrophysiology, 13 Sep 2013:

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pace.12269/abstract

Conclusion:
Although minor, the risk of interference between EMF sources and AIMDs is real and calls for vigilance. It particularly concerns antitheft and airport security gates, though other sources may also cause incidents.


AF
# Posted: 26 Sep 2013 21:03
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Thanks Henrik
AF

Henrik
Admin
# Posted: 22 Oct 2013 00:42
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Dick Cheney, former U.S vice president had the wireless disabled on his pacemaker due to fears that a terrorist could remotely send fatal shock.

More on the Washington Post.

excerpt:
Cheney has a history of heart trouble, suffering the first of five heart attacks at age 37. He underwent a heart transplant last year at age 71.

Wow. Almost sounds as if he was meant to die early. What would the world have been like then?

AF
# Posted: 22 Oct 2013 22:10
Reply 


http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/%28ISSN%291540-8159/earlyview


http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pace.12270/abstract
Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators in Electric and Magnetic Fields of 400 kV Power Lines

Keywords:
implantable cardioverter defibrillators;
electric and magnetic fields;
power lines
Background
Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) therapy has increased in Western countries. The aim of the study was to investigate the function of ICDs using a human-shaped phantom in electric and magnetic fields of 400 kV power lines.

Methods
The phantom was used in the following manner: isolated from the ground, earthed from a foot, or earthed from a hand.

Results
We performed 37 ICD tests using 10 different ICD devices. When the electric fields varied from 6.8 kV/m to 7.5 kV/m (humidity 70.5%) and the magnetic field was 2.0 T, one of the ICDs tested recorded 258 ventricular beats/min when a simulated heart signal was applied to ICD electrodes. When the exposure was 5.1 kV/m, the same ICD had a similar disturbance; however, in a 0.9 kV/m field, it worked correctly.

Conclusions
Consequently, no effect on ICDs functioning was observed up to 0.9 kV/m, while anomalous behavior in some conditions was observed when levels exceeded 5.1 kV/m; ICD malfunctioning seems possible within 11.5 m from 400 kV power lines or in conditions inducing exposures exceeding 5 kV/m. Further development of this research field is needed.

Anonymous
# Posted: 14 Nov 2013 19:52
Reply 


http://www.medtronic.com/rhythms/downloads/3216ENp9_dental_online.pdf

http://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/p/pacemakers

http://www.ada.org/5564.aspx?currentTab=2

http://www.papworthhospital.nhs.uk/docs/leaflets/PI52-Pacemaker-follow-up-care.pdf

http://www.heartdoc.uk.com/pacemaker.html

Anonymous
# Posted: 15 Nov 2013 18:20
Reply 


http://www.rfidjournal.com/articles/view?7307

Jan 08, 2010—A study published this month in a medical journal shows that while interrogators of passive RFID tags do cause some electromagnetic interference to implantable pacemakers and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), the devices pose no urgent health risks. However, the study's authors believe that the "continued proliferation of RFID without taking implantable pacemaker and ICD EMC into consideration could potentially cause clinically significant events for patients."
- See more at: http://www.rfidjournal.com/articles/view?7307#sthash.xQoFXzw2.dpuf

More

Anonymous
# Posted: 15 Nov 2013 18:23
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http://www.rfidjournal.com/articles/view?7307

Jan 08, 2010—A study published this month in a medical journal shows that while interrogators of passive RFID tags do cause some electromagnetic interference to implantable pacemakers and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), the devices pose no urgent health risks. However, the study's authors believe that the "continued proliferation of RFID without taking implantable pacemaker and ICD EMC into consideration could potentially cause clinically significant events for patients."
- See more at: http://www.rfidjournal.com/articles/view?7307#sthash.xQoFXzw2.dpuf

More

Anonymous
# Posted: 23 Nov 2013 17:35
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Do any EHS members of the forum have a pacemaker or ICD?
If so, what has been your experience?

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