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Underrecognized Interaction Between PICO Dressings and Pacemakers: A Case From the ICU
Reginald Caldecott1, John Laffey2
1Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital Galway, Galway, Ireland, hse.ie.
Case Reports in Anesthesiology
|August 6, 2026
Summary
Medical equipment with magnets can activate pacemaker magnet-mode pacing, leading to dangerously high heart rates. Repositioning the device quickly resolved the issue in one patient, highlighting the need for awareness.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Modern pacemakers have a magnet-responsive switch for fixed-rate pacing.
- Interactions with magnet-containing medical equipment are often overlooked.
- The PICO 7 negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) system has a magnet that may affect pacemakers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the underrecognized interaction between NPWT devices and pacemakers.
- To emphasize the importance of recognizing magnet-mode activation in pacemaker patients.
Main Methods:
- A case study of an 81-year-old male patient with a pacemaker and NPWT.
- Observation of pacemaker rate changes in relation to NPWT pump placement.
- Device interrogation to confirm pacemaker function.
Main Results:
- The patient's pacemaker unexpectedly increased from 60 to 100 beats per minute when the NPWT pump was near the device.
- Repositioning the pump immediately restored the normal pacemaker rate.
- Pacemaker function was confirmed as normal post-episode.
Conclusions:
- Magnet-containing medical equipment can trigger magnet-mode pacing in cardiac implantable electronic devices.
- Unexplained changes in paced heart rate warrant consideration of nearby magnetic sources.
- Simple bedside interventions can resolve magnet-mode activation episodes.
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