A variety of unipolar, bipolar, single and dual chamber PM underwent MRI including models from CPI, Intermedics, Medtronic, Pacesetter, and Telectronic. One unmonitored PM patient died who was inadvertently scanned. These latter two patients were unharmed after the MRI was aborted. All of the PM interrogated afterward were found unaffected. The results highlight attitudinal differences regarding the perceived safety of scanning PM patients.
Serious concern remains regarding the overall safety of scanning PM patients.
More than 500,000 patients have pacemakers in the United States. While some of these concerns are theoretical, most have been demonstrated during in vitro testing of pacemakers exposed to MRI or in an animal model. Ethical and practical concerns have precluded the demonstration of these phenomena in humans with pacemakers. These include reprogramming the pacemaker, avoiding direct exposure of the pacemaker to RF energy and adequate monitoring of the pacemaker patient while in the MRI environment. Four pacemaker patients are thought to have died from MRI mediated pacemaker malfunction.