Mobile Phones Use with Electronic Medical Devices

One area of interest to some consumers is potential interference between mobile phones and electronic devices used for medical purposes, such as cardiac pacemakers. Radiofrequency (“RF”) emissions from mobile phones may interact with some other electronic devices, so the United States Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) helped develop a test to ensure that pacemakers and defibrillators are protected from electromagnetic interference (“EMI”) from mobile phones. The test is now part of a standard sponsored by the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation.

The FDA continues to monitor for any potential interactions between mobile phones and other medical devices. Should potentially harmful interactions be found, the FDA will conduct testing to assess the interference and work to help resolve the issue. Consumers looking for additional information about potential EMI between mobile phones and electronic medical equipment can visit: FDA – Interference with Pacemakers and Other Medical Devices.

Precautions for pacemaker wearers

Based on current research, the FDA suggests that mobile phones do not pose a significant risk for the vast majority of pacemaker wearers. The FDA offers some simple precautions that pacemaker wearers may follow:

• Hold the mobile phone to the ear opposite the side of the body where the pacemaker is implanted to add separation between the pacemaker and the mobile phone.
• Avoid placing a mobile phone near the pacemaker, such as in a shirt or jacket pocket near the pacemaker.