title: Pacemaker function during irradiation: in vivo and in vitro effect.
abstract: With an ageing population in Australia, one would expect the probability of treating cancer patients who have a cardiac pacemaker to increase. In this paper the effect of ionizing radiation and electromagnetic interference on pacemaker function is discussed. A case of a cancer patient, with pacemaker, treated with radiotherapy without ill effect, is described. Concurrently, four pacemakers were tested in vitro with gamma radiation from a 60 Cobalt machine and no adverse effect was found. A list of precautions is recommended.
authors.affiliation: Pathology Department, Woden Valley Hospital, ACT.
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Ngu
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: O'Meley
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Collins
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001919:Bradycardia / Q000628:therapy; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D003037:Cobalt Radioisotopes; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004560:Electricity; D055590:Electromagnetic Phenomena; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D010138:Pacemaker, Artificial; D011882:Radiotherapy, High-Energy
chemical_list: D003037:Cobalt Radioisotopes