Key result
Physiotherapy methods generating electromagnetic fields, such as diathermy, TENS, and interference electrotherapy, pose a significant risk of electromagnetic interference in patients with implanted cardiac devices and require strict precautions.
Why the study?
An increasing number of ageing patients with implanted cardiac devices require physiotherapy for comorbidities, making the study of interactions between device function and electromagnetic-producing physiotherapy techniques particularly relevant.
Are physiotherapeutic treatment techniques producing electromagnetic fields safe for patients with implanted cardiac devices?
Are physiotherapeutic treatment techniques producing electromagnetic fields safe for patients with implanted cardiac devices?
Physiotherapy involving electromagnetic fields requires strict safety precautions in patients with cardiac devices due to the risk of life-threatening electromagnetic interference.
Requires caution with electromagnetic physiotherapy in device patients; leaves open device-specific risk thresholds for prospective validation.
Widespread implantation of cardiac devices, i.e. cardiac pacemakers, cardioverter-defibrillators and cardiac resynchronisation devices improved patients survival. It has resulted in increase in number of ageing patients with cardiac devices who need physiotherapeutic treatment due to accompanied comorbidities. Hence the study of the interaction between functions of cardiac devices and physiotherapeutic treatment techniques is particularly relevant. The use and safety of physiotherapeutic treatment techniques producing electromagnetic field which in turn eventually cause harm of the cardiac devices are being discussed in present review article. The possible adverse effects of such interaction are abrupt failure to stimulate or triggering of shock therapy with consequent arrhythmic events including cardiac arrest. The technical characteristics particularly associated with electromagnetic interference are discussed here in detail. The attention is also payed to analysis of possible causes and effects of electromagnetic interference and safety measures as well.
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Bg et al. (2021) conducted a review in Implanted cardiac devices (pacemakers, ICDs, CRT). Physiotherapy (diathermy, TENS, interference electrotherapy) was evaluated on Electromagnetic interference (EMI). Physiotherapy methods generating electromagnetic fields, such as diathermy, TENS, and interference electrotherapy, pose a significant risk of electromagnetic interference in patients with implanted cardiac devices and require strict precautions.
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