Escalators with an ICD

[MarieMarie1]

Hi Again All,Sorry for the influx of posts just trying to get to grips with life with an ICD.

What is the situation with escalators in shopping centres, airports etc I have read it can interfere with your icd,?

[Lezzers]

Escalators, etc are usually fine. Anything with a magnet can affect your ICD but the magnet needs to be fairly close to the ICD to affect it & the device will sound an alarm if you're too near a magnet. Once you step away your ICD will reset itself. My husband's ICD alarm sounded when he got too near the magnetic curtains in the conservatory.

Most scanners in airports are now ICD friendly. Just make security aware that you have an ICD and if the scanner isn't suitable they will do a pat down. Always remember to carry your ICD identification card with you though.

Also, ask your pacing clinic to let you listen to the various alarms the ICD can make and what you should or shouldn't do should you hear an alarm.

[Hanibil]

Hi have been told the same, but use them all the time without incident.

[MDR1]

Hi I was told escalators are fine but not to go on travelators (the walkways that are in a lot of airports and some shopping centers) as they have much stronger magnets.

[EmmJayTea]

Hello. I might be able to add some clarification. I'm a physics graduate who also happens to have an ICD. When I had mine fitted last year, I was naturally curious about the dos and don'ts around magnets, so I did some research.

Magnets, electromagnetic fields and equipment that induces electrical currents are the things to be aware of and Lezzers sums it up really nicely above.

To add a bit more flesh, magnets will switch most ICDs into a "pacing only" mode (if enabled) in which it won't sense or treat arrhythmia. That's what they do in hospital if you require treatment and they need to temporarily disable certain functions. So you could effectively disable your ICD if you get too close to a magnetic field. Remove the exposure to magnets and the ICD will go back into its normal mode. Some ICDs will vibrate or bleep if they sense that a magnet is too close. Yes, some people actually get a beep from under the skin!

The effect of a magnet depends on both its strength and the distance between your ICD and the strongest part of its magnetic field. In practice, you might need to avoid your ICD getting within a few metres of large magnets such as those found in large motors (used in manufacturing/factories/laboratories/industrial settings) and no closer than approx 16cm (6 inches) to mobile phones, headphones and earbuds as these have very small, strong magnets with very localised fields. This is a very broad rule of thumb and you may need to check with the ICD manufacturer or your hospital for more specific guidelines on distances.

The BHF guidelines for ICDs are here: bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo...

Now, if you are standing on an escalator or even those travelator thingies, I doubt you'd have any issue unless you lie face-down above the bit where the drive motors are. CAVEAT: I am not a travelator engineer, but my advice stays the same: Don't lie face-down on them.

Security scanners at airports and those in shop doorways generate electromagnetic fields that you walk through and, depending on the design and layout, there is a theoretical risk that they could temporaily switch off the ICD. In essence, you don't want to be hanging around right next to these pieces of equipment. Just walk through and don't hang about between the upright scanning towers or inside the scanner. Don't run, as this will look suspicious and you may be rugby-tackled to the floor by a security guard.

Finally, we have equipment that can induce an electrical current in the ICD or its wires. This could generate false sensing signals which may lead to a malfunction. That's why there is very clear advice about induction hobs (min 60cm/2ft safety distance). The added bonus, of course, is that an induction hob might actually cause heating of the ICD case and the leads if you get really close. Don't lean over an induction hob, even if you are tempted to try your hand at a very crude DIY ablation. Just don't.

I hope this helps demystify escalators.

[Lezzers in reply to EmmJayTea]

Very informative. My husband had been using a travelator for years without any issues, we never even thought about whether or not they could cause problems. Shop doorways have been interesting though! Despite always going through the middle of them to avoid being close to the security barriers, without fail he would set off the security alarm whenever he entered or left a M&S shop, never happened with any other shop so assumed their barriers are highly sensitive. After a few years this stopped but just recently it happened again as he entered & left a M&S store!! Maybe they've had an influx of shoplifting and have reset the barrier's 🤷‍♀️