Inhibition of a demand pacemaker and interference with monitoring equipment by radio-frequency transmissions.

During the initial testing of Radio Leicester a swept-frequency technique for testing radio antennae was shown to affect demand pacemakers by inhibition of the pacing impulse and to interfere with physiological monitoring equipment. Adequate filtering of demand pacemakers is necessary to eliminate this interference. There is no evidence that such testing has any effect on the function of fixed-rate pacemakers. There is also a potential danger to implanted demand pacemakers by the use of similar polyscope generators used for servicing radio and television apparatus in industry.