Do Mobile Telephones Have Adverse Effects on the Functions of Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators?

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of widely used mobile telephones on the functions of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD). Methods: The study included 9 patients (2 women, 7 men, mean age 65.5±6) with coronary artery disease who had underwent transvenous ICD implantation due to sustained ventricular tachycardia and/or fibrillation. First the test was performed on the basal conditions of ICD. Then, spontaneous heart rate of the patient was programmed to 10 beats/minute on VVI mode and the test was repeated. Two mobile telephones were located symmetrically 50 cm, 30 cm, 20 cm and 10 cm away from the ICD pocket in the pectoralis muscle and finally the mobile telephones antennas were touched to the pockets. On these different distances, the test was repeated during opening, standby, calling, talking and closing of the telephones. Possible ICD dysfunctions such as improper antitachycardic shock, inhibition of pacemaker functions, conversion to ventricular asynchronous mode (VOO) and development of ventricular trigger in devices with two chamber pacemaker functions were tested. The changes were observed on intracardiac and surface ECG’s. Results: There were no changes in the basal and pacemaker functions of ICD’s and no symptoms in any patients. Conclusion: We have concluded that mobile telephones have no adverse effects on the functions of types of ICD assessed in the study.