RE: Heart Pacemakers and MRI

["Kraus, George W." <GWK@CDRH.FDA.GOV>]

Pacemaker interference from microwave ovens are very rare.  Most of the

interference problem come from anti-theft and metal detector devices ....

see FDA safety notification under   http://www.fda.cdrh/safety/easnote.html





> -----Original Message-----

> From:	BERNARD L COHEN [SMTP:blc+@PITT.EDU]

> Sent:	Tuesday, October 30, 2001 9:16 AM

> To:	Rick Mannix

> Cc:	radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu

> Subject:	Re: Heart Pacemakers and MRI

> 

> 	What about people with pacemakers being near microwave ovens? Is

> that still a problem?

> 

> Bernard L. Cohen

> Physics Dept.

> University of Pittsburgh

> Pittsburgh, PA 15260

> Tel: (412)624-9245

> Fax: (412)624-9163

> e-mail: blc+@pitt.edu

> 

> 

> On Mon, 29 Oct 2001, Rick Mannix wrote:

> 

> > I attended a meeting last week during which MRI safety issues were

> > discussed. Naturally, the topic of heart pacemakers was introduced.

> >

> > A physician who is the director of a neuroimaging research center

> indicated

> > that the warning always issued previously  regarding those with heart

> > pacemakers staying at a considerable distance from MRI units is

> "outdated".

> > He said that the "newer" heart pacemakers can take the full hit of a 1.5

> > Tesla MRI field and keep on ticking. Thus, persons with the "newer"

> > pacemakers should be permitted to have medical MRI exams and to

> participate

> > in MRI research studies. [How a person would know if his/her pacemaker

> is

> > one of the MRI-safe ones -- if in fact such a thing exists -- is beyond

> me!]

> >

> > This was a big surprise to me. I have always believed that MRIs are

> > absolutely contraindicated for those with any  type of heart pacemaker

> or

> > any ferromagnetic structure in their bodies, for that matter. In fact,

> my

> > understanding was that persons with pacemakers could not be exposed to

> > magnetic fields much above 5 Gauss without the risk of incurring

> possible

> > problems with their pacemakers. 15,000 Gauss exposures (1.5 Tesla) would

> be

> > completely out of the question.

> >

> > Does anybody know anything concerning this matter? Are there indeed

> > MRI-safe pacemakers?

> >

> > Rick Mannix

> > Health Physicist

> > Laser Safety Officer

> > University of California

> > EH&S Office

> > 4600 Bison Ave.

> > Irvine, CA 92697-2725

> >

> > 949-824-6098

> > 949-824-8539   fax

> > rcmannix@uci.edu

> > ************************************************************************

> > You are currently subscribed to the Radsafe mailing list. To

> unsubscribe,

> > send an e-mail to Majordomo@list.vanderbilt.edu  Put the text

> "unsubscribe

> > radsafe" (no quote marks) in the body of the e-mail, with no subject

> line.

> >

> >

> 

> ************************************************************************

> You are currently subscribed to the Radsafe mailing list. To unsubscribe,

> send an e-mail to Majordomo@list.vanderbilt.edu  Put the text "unsubscribe

> radsafe" (no quote marks) in the body of the e-mail, with no subject line.

************************************************************************

You are currently subscribed to the Radsafe mailing list. To unsubscribe,

send an e-mail to Majordomo@list.vanderbilt.edu  Put the text "unsubscribe

radsafe" (no quote marks) in the body of the e-mail, with no subject line.