Summaries for Patients
24 April 2018

Do Electric Cars Interfere With Pacemakers and Defibrillators?FREE

Publication: Annals of Internal Medicine
Volume 169, Number 5

What is the problem and what is known about it so far?

Many patients have pacemakers and defibrillators to treat heart problems. These devices, called cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs), can be affected by electromagnetic fields. Whether the electromagnetic fields produced by electric cars can interfere with CIEDs has not been well-studied.

Why did the researchers do this particular study?

To find out whether riding in or being near an electric car might interfere with the functioning of patients' CIEDs.

Who was studied?

108 patients with CIEDs.

How was the study done?

The researchers studied 4 of the most common electric cars on the market in Europe. They asked patients with CIEDs to sit in 1 of the cars and to charge the car's battery using charging cables. They measured the magnetic field inside and next to the cars as they were operated and next to charging cables during charging. They also monitored whether there was any interference with the patients' CIEDs.

What did the researchers find?

Magnetic field strength was highest next to the charging cable during charging. It did not differ between the front and back seats of the car. Even at the highest magnetic field strength, there was no evidence of interference with the patients' CIEDs.

What were the limitations of the study?

Because this was a small study that might not have detected rare problems, it cannot definitively establish the safety of electric cars with CIEDs. It also cannot tell what might happen with super-charging cables that may be adopted in the future.

What are the implications of the study?

This study suggests that electric cars do not cause problems for patients' CIEDs.

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Information & Authors

Information

Published In

cover image Annals of Internal Medicine
Annals of Internal Medicine
Volume 169Number 54 September 2018
Pages: I-26

History

Published online: 24 April 2018
Published in issue: 4 September 2018

Keywords

About Summaries for Patients

Summaries for Patients are a service provided by Annals to help patients better understand the complicated and often mystifying language of modern medicine.
Summaries for Patients are presented for informational purposes only. These summaries are not a substitute for advice from your own medical provider. If you have questions about this material, or need medical advice about your own health or situation, please contact your physician. The summaries may be reproduced for not-for-profit educational purposes only. Any other uses must be approved by the American College of Physicians.

Authors

The full report is titled “Electric Cars and Electromagnetic Interference With Cardiac Implantable Electronic Devices: A Cross-sectional Evaluation.” The authors are C. Lennerz, M. O’Connor, L. Horlbeck, J. Michel, S. Weigand, C. Grebmer, P. Blazek, A. Brkic, V. Semmler, B. Haller, T. Reents, G. Hessling, I. Deisenhofer, P. Whittaker, M. Lienkamp, and C. Kolb.
This article was published at Annals.org on 24 April 2018.

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Do Electric Cars Interfere With Pacemakers and Defibrillators?. Ann Intern Med.2018;169:I-26. [Epub 24 April 2018]. doi:10.7326/P18-0005

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