Doctors understand the need to warn patients about side effects of medications, as well as drug-drug interactions. The list of things to warn about just got longer.
iPads.
Apparently magnetic interference from ubiquitous technology devices can alter the settings or potentially deactivate implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs). A study was performed by a 14 year old investigator, Gianna Chen, and her colleagues. Gianna is a high school freshman and presented her findings at the Heart Rhythm Society’s annual meeting. One of Gianna’s colleagues was her dad, Dr. Walter Chen, a cardiologist.
iPads have magnets. If the magnetic field within the iPad is too close to the ICD, it can interfere with its function. In fact 30% of test subjects experienced this interference. This could prevent the ICD from reacting to or interrupting sudden tachycardia or even fibrillation. This risk can be manifest if the patient falls asleep with the tablet on his or her chest.
The magnetic field dissipates rapidly at distance – and likely has little, if any, effect at normal reading distance. Also, people who have more fat in their chest are insulated from the magnetic mischief iPads can cause.
Last year, in Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics, a case study reported of a 4 month old with a programmable ventriculo-peritoneal shunt affected by an iPad 2. The mother had been using the iPad while holding the infant. The shunt’s setting was changed, causing the shunt to malfunction.
With 100 million iPads in use, patients with implantable programmable devices should be given a heads up about this emerging challenge.
Wonder whether Apple knows about this. Is it a permanent magnet or a variable one? If variable, they can also sense when an iPad is near something with its own variable field and turn itself off. Perhaps manufacturer should take a look at that. Or be liable. Just sayin’.
If there are 100 million iPads in use, and if no one with a defibrillator has dropped dead yet, there are several conclusions one may draw:
1) iPads are safe for use by patients with defibrillators.
2) The majority of patients with defibrillators are obese, with excessively thick anterior chest walls serving as protection from the iPad’s magnetic field.
3) iPads should not be used by defibrillator patients, because if their defibrillator gets deactivated by an iPad and they drop dead, the coroner will have no way of determining cause of death on autopsy. 🙂
An excellent way to reduce of completely cut off electromagnetic spectrum “noise” is to encompass someone in a Faraday cage.
If a patient has a pace-maker or other exogenous cardiac rhythm driver, a sort of a “Faraday” cage could be incorporated in a vest around the chest or the device itself. The vest would include a lattice of copper wires, tin foil or other conductor. It need not be heavy.
Such a device could easily be tested for effectiveness. In any case, it would be better than “going bare.”
Michael M. Rosenblatt, DPM
That is scary, as I inquired with pacemaker reps. if the covers for iPads which have magnetic button to close them like ladies bag could interfare with the pacemaker, and answer has been a no.
Now I did not know that iPads have a magnetic field around them, if so what about cell phones, almost same technology, again we have been reassured that these devices don’t interfere with the pace makers.
Could some one enlighten on these subjects?
Thanks.