Cell Phones Should Be Distanced From Hospital Equipment

A new study recommends that cell phones, especially second-generation ones, should be allowed no closer than one meter to hospital beds and equipment.

Researchers from the Academic Medical Center (AMC) at the University of Amsterdam (The Netherlands) examined incidents of electromagnetic interference (EMI) of General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) and Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) signals on critical care equipment such as ventilators and pacemakers. Almost 50 EMI incidents were recorded; 75% were significant or hazardous. Hazardous incidents varied from a total switch off and restart of a mechanical ventilator and complete stops without alarms in syringe pumps to incorrect pulsing by an external pacemaker. The second-generation (2.5G) GPRS signal caused the highest number of EMI incidents at over 60% whereas the third-generation (3G) UMTS signal was responsible for just 13%. EMI incidents also occurred a greater distance with GPRS with a hazardous incident occurring even at three meters. The study was published on September 6, 2007, in the online open access journal Critical Care.

"Our work has real implications for present hospital restrictions of mobile phone use in patient areas,” said lead author Dr. Erik van Lieshout. "It is unlikely that mobile phone induced EMI in hospitals will be eradicated in the near future so the one-meter rule currently in place should continue, as it is relatively safe.

While first-generation mobile phones are used mainly for voice transmission, 2.5G and 3G phones enable Internet access, sending, and receiving data.


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