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Making MRI scans safer for pacemaker and defibrillator users

E-Health Trend Watch, December 8, 2006

Currently, hospitals do not allow pacemakers and defibrillators in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines, because the machines can cause serious problems such as burnt tissue and implant malfunction. According to an Associated Press article, doctors at hospitals such as Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore are experimenting with using MRIs that shield heart devices from meltdowns or misfires. In addition, the article notes that by the end of 2006, hospitals will begin the first human study of a pacemaker designed to withstand MRIs.

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