Washington (OTL) - Pacemakers and defibrillators are medical devices which deliver electrical impulses via electrodes to the heart muscle causing the heart to contract rhythmically. A pacemaker sets the heart rate and a defibrillator monitors the heart for abnormal rhythm which it corrects, effectively regulating the heart rate.
Once a patient has a medical device inserted the doctor recommends lifestyle changes or considerations which include avoiding any kind of magnetic field. This is because magnets cause the pacemaker to send low-energy signals which interfere with the pacemaker’s calibration inturn modifying the heart rate.
Magnetic signals also interfere with defibrillators by affecting the defibrillators ability to detect abnormal heart rhythms. These considerations led researchers to investigate if the interferences caused by portable devices like MP3 players and iPods could affect an implanted medical device.
Based on previous study results, the FDA concluded that the actual devices did not interfere with the function of the medical devices. The studies however overlooked the effect of headphones. In a recent study directed by Dr. William Maisel, a well known cardiologist at Beth Israel Medical Center in Boston, researchers investigated the effects of MP3 player headphones that were placed within inches of a pacemakers and implanted defibrillators.
The study results presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2008 concluded that headphones placed within an inch of the inserted medical devices interfered with the devices function.
The researchers further recommended that patients should not place the headphones in their pocket or on their shoulder to avoid interference.