Citation

Krueger P, Anselm DL, Beier G, Prauer HW, Wolff H. Langenbecks Arch. Chir. 1978; 347: 367-371.

Vernacular Title

Herzschrittmacher und Sicherheitsgurt.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1978, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

732441

Abstract

Although seat-belt-induced traffic accident injuries to wearers of pacemakers are rare, about 50,000 pacemaker patients have to "buckle up." A study of 450 pacemaker patients indicated that, as in the general population about 50% use their seat belts. Fifty percent of the patients felt uncomfortable or showed local damage of the area overlying the pacemaker. Studies with dummies revealed a 7-cm upward dislocation of the pacemaker caused by the negative acceleration and by the seat belt itself during the crash. This could be prevented by an external cap protecting the pacemaker.