Anti-theft alarms could put your life at risk by causing pacemakers’ to skip beats
The devices can cause pacemakers to deliver shocks
ANTI-theft devices in shops are putting the lives of some heart patients at risk, experts have warned.
Many are unaware the systems can cause pacemakers to drop beats and cause implantable defibrillators to deliver shocks.
Some security systems are hidden under floors or in walls, while many doorway systems are covered by advertising.
A study found the traditional pedestal alarm found at many shop exits interfered with pacemakers, especially when patients stood or sat next to them for long periods.
Also at risk are toddlers with pacemakers crawling over sub-floor systems. The study was led by Professor Robert Stevenson of pacemaker manufacturers Greatbatch Medical in California.
He said: “Doctors must educate patients about the potential dangers as many have never been warned not to lean or linger in retail store entrances.
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“Electronic anti-theft systems are a part of everyday life and patients are safe if they walk at a constant pace through them.
“But gates obscured with advertising or hidden in the floor with couches or chairs adjacent are a serious concern.”
Co-author Dr Rod Gimbel said: “Pacemakers provide pacing support, without which there would be no heartbeat at all for a pacemaker-dependent patient.
“We say, ‘Don’t linger, don’t lean’, but that is hard to follow when systems are invisible.”
The study was presented at the Cardiostim EHRA Europace 2016 conference in Nice, France.
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