FDA Issues CT Scan Alert – Patients with Medical Devices

Patients pretty well know that have the devices that MRIs are out of the picture if the device is internal and cannot be shut off. The big contender though is implanted heart devices. Sometimes medical devices go on the blink even without any help and there have been reported cases of recalls, and to have a cardiac defibrillator recalled is not something anyone wants to hear.

The report states the impact is temporary, but with a defibrillator, you may want to be sure and check with your doctor first. There might be some other type of imaging that could handle the procedures and not be at the risk of having a shock delivered to your system. The number of issues is small by comparison to the number of people who have them, but it really never seems to matters a lot until it’s you. BD

Devices that could be affected by CT scans include cardiac pacemakers, implantable cardiac defibrillators, neurostimulators, drug infusion and insulin pumps, cochlear implants and retinal implants, the FDA said.

The popular scans can cause medical devices to shock patients or start sending inaccurate signals, the FDA said in a public health alert issued Monday afternoon.