What is Digg?118 Comments
- haniam, on 10/10/2007, -6/+148Why aren't medical devices more robust?
- ClOlD, on 10/10/2007, -3/+96Dear manufacturers of hospital electronics:
SHIELDING!!!
That is all. - mannymix03, on 10/10/2007, -3/+42weird, wonder how old these devices are. Cell phones are constantly in use at the hospital i work at. Family members use cellphones right by people with ventilators and nothing happens. I think this is just FUD. Even more they say to keep them 3 feet away, i think this study shows worst case scenario, such as putting a cellphone directly on a ventilator
- inactive, on 10/10/2007, -0/+36Most newer medical devices are designed to prevent this problem but many wireless communication system are within the cell phone spectrum. What's worse is that many older monitors and other devices made in the 1980 and 90s are still in use. These are still very susceptible to cell phone signals.
- ninti, on 10/10/2007, -0/+27I see a Mythbusters episode coming!
- chicoer2001, on 10/10/2007, -15/+39Cell phones in hospitals are a bad idea. They're dangerous and they're annoying. The people in there need rest, not to hear annoying ring tones.
- h3llscaper, on 10/10/2007, -1/+22I dunno, if I'm on my deathbed and I hear a MIDI rendition of Yakkety Sax I think I'd be pretty happy when I went.
- CatsAreGods, on 10/10/2007, -2/+23You're close...it's to protect the hospital's huge profit margins on charging patients for phone calls!
- supermanred, on 10/10/2007, -6/+24Everything else I've ever read say this is ***** and hospital devices are properly shielded. The no cell phones in hospitals is to prevent the available cel towers or nodes from being overcrowded, allowing for doctor's cel phones to function.
I'll look into this further, but I call shenanigans. - Namco, on 10/10/2007, -1/+17They are. This article's complete *****. I work in IT in healthcare and there just isn't an issue walking around with cellphones and pagers. It's more to keep the visitors quiet.
- darkphan, on 10/10/2007, -1/+17I would be curious to see a break down as to what cell phones caused problems, what technology they used (GSM, CDMA) etc...
- REDBLIND, on 10/10/2007, -1/+17Newer technology must be more resistant. I have visited a wealthier hospital where cell phone use is not an issue, but I have also been to hospitals where it is strictly prohibited. It's best just to leave it off not just for tech failure reasons, but also as a courtesy to patients and other visitors.
- rytisg, on 10/10/2007, -0/+15I was at a hospital recently and spent hours in ICU, and every doctor, nurse, and technician had one and were using them. I guess it's the ones that the public uses that are the dangerous ones.
- mrASSMAN, on 10/10/2007, -0/+11"worst-case scenarios" Meaning: they placed them in microwave ovens.
Kidding, but they probably did something ridiculous like tape a hundred cell phones onto the devices and call them all at the same time.. or used much higher-energy signals than what cellphones are capable of.. who knows. I'd like to see the lab report. - archlich, on 10/10/2007, -0/+10ah snopes, sifting through the FUD so we don't have to. http://www.snopes.com/horrors/techno/hospital.asp
- Harbinger67, on 10/10/2007, -3/+12Learning to spell, however, does not cost a 'tone' of money. Do it.
- ClOlD, on 10/10/2007, -1/+9They need to meet my foil guy, then. He's called Wegmans and he is one CHEAP bastard.
- truenorthern, on 10/10/2007, -0/+8I also work in Health care, every doctor we have carries a cell phone everywhere, we have lifted our ban of cellphones in our facilities.
I think the article is pure FUD. Mechanical ventilator turning on and off?? how could a cell phone activate a mechanical switch?? or even an electronic switch?? - Khundala, on 10/10/2007, -0/+8I've worked in and out of hospitals for several years, with several different kinds of equipment from several different manufacturers. Nearly every patient has a cell phone, there is Wi-Fi in all rooms, we use pagers for all staff, telemetry monitors patients' heart rhythms remotely; suffice to say, there are more than a few signals flying around. And not once have I seen a cell ring and a pump shut off.
- mastercheif, on 10/10/2007, -0/+7DING DING!! We have a winner!!!
- ...---..., on 10/10/2007, -0/+7Yeah, ok - I am pretty familiar with this issue on a couple of fronts and it's total *****...
For 13 years I worked as a dialysis biomed technician - I maintained and repaired all of the equipment used in hemodialysis clinics including the acute clinics in hospitals. Not one piece of equipment that we used or that I ever came across was suceptible to RF interference - none.
Now, I work for the biggest manufacturer of cellular equipment - the stuff that's at the base of the cell towers that processes the calls and converts them to radio frequency. I install, repair and maintain that equipment. Many hospitals actually have cell sites on the roof - they make $$ by renting space to the cell providers (verizon, sprint...). These very same hospitals have signs inside banning the use of cell phones due to sensitive medical equipment - yet the site on their very roof is pumping much higher levels of RF into the building than a hand held phone would. And their equipment seems to work just fine.
This would be a good one for the Mythbusters! - ramcosca, on 10/10/2007, -0/+6That sounded like you're 13 years old... seriously.
Now go do the dishes or you'll be punished this weekend. - unfinity, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_vmOPrKTJE&mode=related&search=
- hospitalcio, on 10/10/2007, -2/+7OK, this is my field. This study reconfirms my long understanding of the risk. It is true that a cell phone can cause interference with medical equipment. But, the phone has to be right next to the device. Most hospitals allow cell phone use in public areas, but ban them in the patient care areas.
- inactive, on 10/10/2007, -4/+9Um better idea - get with the times, and build better medical devices. Dear lord, you pay enough for them, might as well make GOOD ones. And youd think that the FCC would put a little space between medical devices and CELLPHONES... damn. Oh wait - they are too busy trying to make money on selling off VHF and UHF...
- DaveyDeadite, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4I'm not entirely sure about all of this, as mentioned theres too many factors to consider whether they actually affect the equipment, being the age of the equipment, cellphone network type, etc. the hospital I work at, not a day goes by where you don't see a patients cellphone on and next to everything. the only real place where cell phone use is rightfully discouraged is intensive care, cardiac, etc. as to consider as, I work at one of the top trauma centers in chicago, so if it were a problem i'm sure we'd know about it. seems more of an urban legend then anything.
- DanMcScience, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4Nice job intelligent commenters! I am glad most of the kids dumbing down the threads are back at school (although some of those kids say bright things, the majority do not). In the hospital I work at I spend most of my time in our new GI wing. They had a genius idea to prevent cell phones disrupting equipment (they do interrupt some of the research equipment in my experience). The whole wing is shielded, that way people just make calls on the land lines or go outside for the most part.
- bitterbug, on 10/10/2007, -1/+5Better safe than story at least. Considering that my cell phone signal will override the speaker output in my home stereo and car, I'd be inclined not to use it near critical devices.
Maybe people don't remember the day when convenience stores posted signs on the front door saying there was a microwave in use... since they posed a possible threat to some pacemakers. - Puppetfunk, on 10/10/2007, -3/+7Plus your death would be hilarious because it's scientific fact that Yakkety Sax makes ANYTHING funny.
- ypSami, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4I got the bugs off my windows with a screen. Didn't cost a tone, either.
- itsripitsrip, on 10/10/2007, -1/+5i worked in surgery for two years and watched surgeons answer their cell phones while working on a patient. (their nurse would hold it up to their ear, for all you people screaming "but they have to be sterile!!!")
the hospitals just don't want everyone on their phone, it would be a huge nuisance.
same goes for airplanes. - tribble222, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4Using "affect" will create the most effective statement in this situation
- EXreaction, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4No, but we are not 12 years old either, like you seem to be.
- spudnic, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4Aye, better safe than sorry.
- po43292, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3My local FedEx place has signs that say something like "Cell phones prohibited!" Come on, I see people in there on their phones all the time. What else are you gonna do in the line? Play tetris on your phone.
- jwigum, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3It's not overriding the speaker output(high power signal from amp to speaker signal). It's causing interference on the poorly shielded line level(low power) signal that's then feeding into the amplifier. If you have interference on the input, you'll have interference on the output.
- sspooner, on 10/10/2007, -2/+5We're not, but you apparently are.
- Meatetarian, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3My phone has theft deterrence.
- Uranium118, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2There is something wrong when my wireless Xbox 360 controller has better interference protection than hospital devices that should save lives.
- Proggie, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2I was at the hospital recently and a doctor there told me that it's not really necessary to turn them off, you just can't talk on them. Not sure how much truth there is to that.
- anti_hax0r, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2so you are having your morning ***** somewhere else than your own home...
- Sumyunguy, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2Hmmm...interesting...My wife is a nurse. When she clocks in for work they assign her a cell phone so she can be contacted where ever she is...
- ClOlD, on 10/10/2007, -4/+6Does this seem alot like that Fan Death nonsense all those Koreans believe?
Well, the guy died (machine stopped working) and there was a fan (cell phone) nearby so... I mean, cause and effect, people! - smacksaw, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2imperium2000 I believe you just because of your user icon.
- SuperSloth, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2Exactly. I've been in healthcare IT. Every doctor has a pager 24/7. So does every IT employee. We also generally always have a cell phone.
- BossKey, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2Especially if you are flying over a hospital!
- DreKor, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2The Mayo Clinic just released a study that suggested cellphones did not significantly impact the operation of most medical devices in a hospital setting. I tend to listen to the Mayo Clinic instead of some Dutch technophobe.
- cloudyprison, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2I recently did a contract job performing work in hospitals all across California. There is nothing quiet about a hospital. Intensive care units were the loudest.
- giraldus, on 10/10/2007, -2/+3keep in mind as well that the hospital makes a pretty little profit on phone calls you make and receive using the handset they provide (check out the itemized bill you receive); their markup is worse than what you pay in hotel rooms (if you are dumb enough to use the phone provided);
- inactive, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1When any other product, like a drug or a truck tire, is found to prevent such a risk to human life, it is recalled and taken off the market. Why are medical devices different?
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