Indirect Effects
The possibility that medical devices
could interfere or be adversely affected by RF emitted by the
antennas of base stations and portable wireless devices in their
proximity has prompted, in the 1990s, many engineering and clinical
tests around the world. This might be one of the few documented,
albeit indirect detrimental effects of low level RF fields on the
health of exposed people. This is especially the case for patients
using implanted cardiac pacemakers or defibrillators, or hooked up to
life support devices, such as mechanical ventilators, which are vital
for their continued survival.
Our review of this subject concluded
that wireless communication technologies with enough output power and
very close proximity to medical devices of several kinds, including
implanted devices, have the possibility of causing electromagnetic
interference with potential hazardous effects on the well being and
critical life support of patients. However, the low power
technologies and frequency spectrum used by present-day digital
communications devices and the electronic filters installed on modern
medical devices have greatly reduced the chance of occurrence of such
hazards, when they are used normally. Thus, scientifically and
technically there is presently no need to restrict the use of medium
risk mobile phones and wireless data communication devices in any
area of healthcare institutions, and no general ban policy is
necessary, or legislation to this effect. Higher powered
communication radios and data communication modems, which may pose a
higher risk of interference, should be used sparingly and in
emergency situations only if they are very near to medical devices,
implanted or not.
Another kind of indirect effect of
cell phones and other portable voice and data communication media is
the risk posed by using them while driving a motor vehicle. Since
this risk does not relate to an effect of RF fields, it has not been
examined by the review.  Download Indirect Effects of RF (English, PDF format, 115 Kb)
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