MP3 Headphones and pacers / defibrillators

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By  |  November 11, 2008 | 

An abstract presented this weekend at the AHA meeting (abstract) found that 23% of pacer and defibrillator devices dysfunctioned when placed in close proximity (<2cm) to ipod headphones. Those headphones with higher magnetic strength were more likely to cause a problem (EM strength in the headphones tested varied from 0-20 gauss, listed by brand in the abstract). They found no device dysfunction with headphones >3cm away from the device. The authors recommend keeping ipod headphones at least 3cm away from these devices, which given this study, seems like a very reasonable suggestion.

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About the Author: Danielle Scheurer

Danielle Scheurer, MD, MSCR, SFHM is a clinical hospitalist and the Chief Quality Officer at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina, where she also serves as Assistant Professor of Medicine. She is a graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Medicine, completed her residency at Duke University, and completed her Masters in Clinical Research at the Medical University of South Carolina. She is also the President of SHM's Board of Directors and previously served as Physician Editor of The Hospitalist, SHM's monthly newsmagazine.

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