Cardiac pacemakers and electromagnetic fields : Comparison of experimental results in France and Finland

The risk of perturbation of a cardiac pacemaker by an electromagnetic field has been studied for many years. However the instructions given to the patient remain vague, especially concerning electric and magnetic fields linked to electricity. In the context of Directive 2013/35/UE, this paper discusses the level of risk for 50 Hz electric and magnetic fields. Different studies on pacemaker interferences, with different methodologies are compared. The results are coherent and show the importance of pacemaker parameters for risk of interference : the type of electrodes (unipolar or bipolar) and the sensitivity threshold. When the magnetic field is lower than the reference level recommended for the general public in Europe, and when the PM is in bipolar mode with usual settings, no interference with clinical consequences were observed. These results may be used for workers exposed to electromagnetic fields, if the magnetic field levels are equivalent.