Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with implanted cardiac prostheses and metallic cardiovascular electronic devices is sometimes a risky procedure. Thus MRI in these patients should be performed when it is the only examination able to help with the diagnosis. Moreover the diagnostic benefit must outweigh the risks. Coronary artery stents, prosthetic cardiac valves, metal sternal sutur...

Sudden cardiac deaths, which account for approximately 350 000 deaths each year, is a major health care problem. Antiarrhythmic drugs have not been reliable in preventing sudden cardiac death. Although β-blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, and revascularization play a role in prevention of sudden cardiac death, the development and subsequent refinement of the implantable cardiov...

Axel Müller1, Thomas M. Helms2, Hans-Jürgen Wildau3, Jörg Otto Schwab4 and Christian Zugck5 1Klinik für Innere Medizin I der Klinikum Chemnitz gGmbH Bürgerstr. 2, D-09113 Chemnitz, 2Deutsche Stiftung für chronisch Kranke, Alexanderstraße 26, D-90762 Fürth, 3BIOTRONIK SE Co,Woermannkehre 1, D-12359 Berlin, 4Universitätsklinikum Bonn, Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik II, Sigmund-Freud-Str. 25, ...

AIMS To investigate the susceptibility of implantable cardioverter defibrillators to electromagnetic interference generated by digital cellular telephones, functioning in both international transmission technologies: the Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) and the Digital Cellular System (DCS 1800). METHODS AND RESULTS In 36 patients with transvenous implantable cardioverter defibril...