The ventilator manufacturers Dräger and ResMed have announced thisNational Agency for Drug Safety (ANSM) Risks of interference between their masks containing magnets for their ventilators and implanted metal medical devices, it announced on Monday, December 4th. The Dutch company Philips had already reported on such risks in November 2022.

These interventions “may occur when patients or members of their household have metallic implanted devices” (e.g. pacemaker) “and are probably close to these masks that contain magnets (at a distance of less than 15 centimeters)”, explains the ANSM in a press release. There is a risk that the implanted devices will malfunction.

Fourteen cases were reported worldwide last year, most of them in the United States. Last September, a case was reported by Philips in France that had no consequences for the patient.

Patients will be informed promptly

Since then, the ventilator manufacturers Dräger (German) and Resmed (American) “Informed us of the same risk of their masks being affected by magnets”writes the ANSM.

Patients using these masks with magnets have been or will soon be informed by Home Health Providers (PSAD) about the affected implanted medical devices and the procedure to follow, the agency adds.

Since June 2021, the Dutch company Philips has been forced to launch a massive global campaign to recall several defective models of ventilators, used in particular by patients with sleep apnea.

Users risked inhaling or swallowing pieces of toxic sound-absorbing foam that could cause irritation and headaches. Philips is the subject of numerous lawsuits in several countries related to this affair.