RF Surgical Sponge-Detecting System on the Function of Pacemakers and Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators

Plain-language summary

If a surgical sponge is mistakenly left inside a patient's body after a surgical procedure, it can cause a serious infection. To prevent this from happening, a new device has been developed that uses radiofrequency (RF) signals to detect the presence of surgical sponges inside the body. The device is now being used routinely to make sure that no sponges are left inside a patient at the end of an operation. However, the RF device has not been implemented in procedures for patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs). While the device is FDA approved for use, there is a theoretical concern that the radiofrequency signals used to detect the sponges will change the settings on the pacemaker or the defibrillator. Changing the settings on a pacemaker might make it pace the heart too quickly or too slowly, while changing the settings on a defibrillator might cause unnecessary shocks or prevent it from shocking the heart if the patient were to have cardiac arrest. The purpose of this study is to test whether the radiofrequency device used to detect sponges can cause a clinically significant change to the settings on pacemakers and defibrillators. To minimize potential risk, the device will be tested only on patients who are having the pacemaker or defibrillator removed or replaced as part of their regular medical care, either because it is infected or because the battery has worn out. Before the pacemaker or defibrillator is removed, the settings will be carefully and completely recorded and the radiofrequency device will be used to scan the body for sponges as it would be done during normal operation. After the pacemaker or defibrillator is taken out, the settings will again be recorded and compared to the settings before the scan. In a standard device removal procedure, no clinically significant change in CIED settings would be expected. If a new pacemaker or defibrillator is implanted in the patient, it will not be exposed to the detection device at all. We will also test whether the RF device has any effect on temporary pacemakers that patients may receive after open heart surgery. We plan to perform testing in a total of 50 patients, 40 with permanent pacemakers or defibrillators and 10 with temporary pacemakers.

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