Using mobile phones in hospitals: Evidence is lacking, but risk may not be nothing

doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7517.637-a

BMJ 2005;331:637 (17 September), doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7517.637-a

Letter

Using mobile phones in hospitals

Evidence is lacking, but risk may not be nothing

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Editor—Godlee would love to know the evidence that usingmobile phones in hospital is dangerous¹². There is not a greatdeal of evidence to demonstrate one way or the other that usingmobile phones is causing any actual harm to patients or to equipmentconnected to patients. This does not mean that there is no risk.Some time ago I investigated the effects of porters' radioson some infusion pumps and syringe drivers. I found that theyinterfered with their correct operation. Mobile phones can,and do, cause similar interference to the correct operationof some medical devices.

Guidelines from the Medicines and Healthcare Products RegulatoryAgency and regulations from the International ElectrotechnicalCommission (www.iec.ch) recognise that all electrical and electronicmedical devices can potentially be interfered with by any radiosource.^3
4
5 Deciding that it is okay to use phones on the basisof little more than . . . [Full text of this article]

Alex G Birkett, electrical engineer

UCLH Medical Physics, University College London Hospitals, London NW1 2PQ alexander.birkett@uclh.nhs.uk