Use of mobile phones in ICU--why not ban?
Due to the rapid growth of mobile telecommunications it is predicted that by 2005 there will be 1.6 billion mobile phone users worldwide. The usage of cellphones in Intensive Care Units carries with it a high incidence of interference with a number of medical devices like implantable defibrillators, cardioverters, pacemakers, monitors and other important devices like ventilators. It is in this context that this article will throw a light on complications of cellphones use in the Intensive Care Units and various strategies that can be taken to restrict their use in the Intensive Care Units.
Yeolekar
M E
ME
Department of Medicine, Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College and Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital, Sion, Mumbai.
Sharma
A
A
D040421:Cell Phone / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017147:Defibrillators, Implantable; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004868:Equipment Failure; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000592:standards*; D008872:Microwaves / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016134:Organizational Policy; D010138:Pacemaker, Artificial; D013686:Telemetry / Q000295:instrumentation