Electromagnetic Interference in Hospital Environment: Case Study of the Intensive Care Units of a University Hospital

Electromagnetic (EM) sources are abundant in the routine of a hospital. Such sources can be for personal use, be part of the set of electromedical equipment or the building structure. This article presents the verification of electromagnetic interference between field sources and hospital devices, since electromagnetic interference is a factor that puts the correct functioning of these equipments at risk. As a consequence, patient’s lives are also put at risk. Since in many cases, the vitality of the patient depends exclusively on medical devices, electromagnetic fields were measured inside and outside the intensive care units (ICUs) of the University Hospital Alcides Carneiro (UHAC) with all hospital devices working normally. The electromagnetic field values obtained at the hospital were compared with the values imposed by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).