Electric cars are increasingly used for public and private transportation and represent possible sources of electromagnetic interference (EMI). Potential implications for patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED) range from unnecessary driving restrictions to life-threatening device malfunction.
For the scientific study (May 2023), a total of 130 CIED patients performed 561 charges of four battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and a test vehicle (350 kW charge capacity) using high-power charging stations under continuous 6-lead electrocardiogram monitoring.
The charging cable was placed directly over the CIED, and devices were programmed to maximize the chance of EMI detection. Cardiac implantable electronic devices were re-interrogated after patients charged all BEVs and the test vehicle for evidence of EMI.
There were no incidences of electromagnetic interference (EMI), specifically no over-sensing, pacing inhibition, inappropriate tachycardia detection, mode switching, or spontaneous reprogramming.
Conclusions: The use of electric cars with high-power chargers by patients with cardiac devices appears to be safe with no evidence of clinically relevant EMI. Reasonable caution, by minimizing the time spent in close proximity with the charging cables, is still advised as the occurrence of very rare events cannot be excluded from these results.
Sources: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31744037/; https://www.openaccessgovernment.org/cardiac-devices-electric-vehicles-pacemakers-defibrillators/157786/
