cell phone use in hospitals

They are probably acting on anecdotal evidence. All it takes is a
couple if incidents that is, rightly or wrongly, blamed on cell phones
and the story spreads. After all if you missed something on a readout
would you take the blame or try to pin it on something you had no
control over such as a cell phone.

I was recently in the hospital as part of my work. I had a handheld
radio that puts out a lot more energy than my cell phone does and the
frequency is in the same neigborhood as my cell phone (the range on
the handheld radio is in excess of 20 miles). Only one of the nurses
had a problem with me using my cell phone and none of them had any
problems with me using my heandheld radio which between the two, the
handheld radio would likely cause much more interference than a cell
phone.




On Wed, 19 Nov 2003 16:31:28 GMT, "Lawrence G. Mayka"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>"Hank Arnold" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> What is the BFD????????? The hospitals ask that you don't use a cell phone
>> in the hospital. You can do without it while you are there.... We lived
>> without it for this long. Just turn it off and concentrate on what is
>> important. The health of your loved ones....
>
>Concentrating on the health of your loved one is exactly why you need a CDMA
>phone in a hospital! In the hospital, your loved one is being bombarded
>with "treatment" (drugs, etc.) by various bizarre doctors who come by once a
>day (maybe), order some drugs, and leave. When you find your loved one all
>goofed up (catatonic or comatose), and the nurses don't seem to care, you
>have to track down these bizarre doctors as quickly as possible and get them
>to change their orders. Obviously, you cannot get such a doctor on the
>phone immediately--you have to leave a callback number. That's what you
>need a CDMA phone for.
>
>Yes, this scenario did occur when my mother was in the hospital.
>Unfortunately, the doctors were so incompetent that they put my mother not
>only into a coma but into permanent kidney failure and brain damage. She
>never fully recovered, and died within six months.
>

---

› See More: cell phone use in hospitals

I don't know how critical the issue is but wouldn't you rather err on the
safe side? It's a toy/status symbol to 99.9% of people so I don't think it's
going to kill the able-bodied to shut off their cell for a little while.
Common courtesy seems to be a dying breed.

On Wed, 19 Nov 2003 17:54:17 GMT, "Anon" <[email protected]> wrote:

>I don't know how critical the issue is but wouldn't you rather err on the
>safe side? It's a toy/status symbol to 99.9% of people so I don't think it's
>going to kill the able-bodied to shut off their cell for a little while.
>Common courtesy seems to be a dying breed.




Instead of arguing back and forth over whether phones cause what
read all about it. Someone else gave this link:

http://www.howstuffworks.com/question230.htm

"maryann" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> I spent all of today in John Muir Hospital waiting for the gf to come out
> of surgery, and noticed that each and every hospital employee appears to
> be equipped with a cell phone. Needless to say, they
> seem to think they won't kill the patients that way.

The use of cellular phones here in UK hospitals, has been banned for years!

HTH
tox

"Michael" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Instead of arguing back and forth over whether phones cause what
> read all about it. Someone else gave this link:
>
> http://www.howstuffworks.com/question230.htm

This article is extremely amateurish and/or outdated. The very fact that it
mentions cell phone power as 3W (which was *never* true of handheld phones,
only car phones and bag phones) indicates that the author actually knows
very little about the subject.

More importantly, though, any such interference argument is (a) hypothetical
unless evidence is presented, and (b) not applicable to CDMA (spread
spectrum), which is a military-class technology designed to be practically
indetectible to any equipment not specifically designed to detect it.

How many cell phones users can tell you what Technology their cell phone uses?
It's easier to ban all cell phones. Same logic as banning cell phones in health
clubs, rather than figuring out which ones might have cameras.

"Lawrence G. Mayka" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Michael" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Instead of arguing back and forth over whether phones cause what
> > read all about it. Someone else gave this link:
> >
> > http://www.howstuffworks.com/question230.htm
>
> This article is extremely amateurish and/or outdated. The very fact that
it
> mentions cell phone power as 3W (which was *never* true of handheld
phones,
> only car phones and bag phones) indicates that the author actually knows
> very little about the subject.
>
> More importantly, though, any such interference argument is (a)
hypothetical
> unless evidence is presented, and (b) not applicable to CDMA (spread
> spectrum), which is a military-class technology designed to be practically
> indetectible to any equipment not specifically designed to detect it.
>
>

Sorry Lawrence, you are totally off your rocker on this one. Whenever my
friend came over with his cell phone I knew he was there before he came to
the door cause the radio and TV would start getting interference every few
minutes from his cell phone checking in, I would say your (A) is totally
false.

On Wed, 19 Nov 2003 16:36:19 GMT, Lawrence G. Mayka
<[email protected]> wrote:


> The only evidence at all I've seen of interference with sensitive
> equipment
> (e.g., avionics) was:
>
> 1) Within twelve inches of the equipment
>
> 2) single-frequency technology (analog/TDMA/GSM) instead of
> spread-spectrum
> (CDMA)

Have you ever been in an "all occupants killed" plane crash? Shall
we take that as evidence that they don't happen?

--
Mark

There used to be signs at the doors of hospitals warning about cell phones.
I have not seen these, recently.

Like another contributor to these forums, I see a lot of communication
devices carried by hospital employees. However, they appear to be VHF
commercial walkie-talkie units.

And, as someone pointed out, shielding makes it a moot point in many areas
of a medical facility. I volunter as a driver for the American Cancer
Society, and frequently am at the radiation department. Signals are dismal.
By the way, I experience the same situation in some bank buildings.

-Paul-

________________________________
Note to my friends:
If I am in the hospital, forget the cards and
flowers. I want a pizza and a get-away car!
________________________________

Lawrence,
save your breaths, most people do not want to know. ignorant is bless

btw i agree with your view. CDMA radiate the least and GSM the most at
their peak output of 2W I think, even though the average power output is
comparable to CDMA.

"Lawrence G. Mayka" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Michael" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Instead of arguing back and forth over whether phones cause what
> > read all about it. Someone else gave this link:
> >
> > http://www.howstuffworks.com/question230.htm
>
> This article is extremely amateurish and/or outdated. The very fact that
it
> mentions cell phone power as 3W (which was *never* true of handheld
phones,
> only car phones and bag phones) indicates that the author actually knows
> very little about the subject.
>
> More importantly, though, any such interference argument is (a)
hypothetical
> unless evidence is presented, and (b) not applicable to CDMA (spread
> spectrum), which is a military-class technology designed to be practically
> indetectible to any equipment not specifically designed to detect it.
>
>

Maryann,

> Needless to say, they
> seem to think they won't kill the patients that way.
>
Another possible conclusion: the more health problems patients have, the
more business hospitals get. It probably is not the low level employees that
want to carry cell phones, but those who get the most benefit from the
number of patient-days they sell.

Marvin L. Zinn
[email protected]
Using Virtual Access
Windows 2000 build 2600

In general, employees aren't supposed to be carrying cellular devices,
Nextel iDEN Devices, SouthernLINC iDEN Devices, whatever you name it
because typically, I consider cell phone carriage in hospitals a little
bit unreligious IMO. Entering a hospital, you usually supposed to turn
the Cell Phone off since Cell Phones uses Microwave Transmissions, so I
would say this seems to be a little bit overboard to use Cell Phones in
Hospitals.

Remember that all hospitalic organizations have different rules.

maryann wrote:

> There was a thread here a few months ago about cell phone use in
> hospitals, with plenty of self righteous talk about the "dangers"
> to the patients.
>
> I spent all of today in John Muir Hospital waiting for the gf to come out
> of surgery, and noticed that each and every hospital employee appears to
> be equipped with a cell phone. Needless to say, they
> seem to think they won't kill the patients that way.

The reason you get analog in the hospital and not digital is because =
analog runs in the megahertz band, and your particular cell provider =
runs its digital service in the gigahertz band. Megahertz is a lower =
frequency which travels further and penetrates buildings much better =
than the higher and more reflective gigahertz band. If you have a =
provider who runs its digital service in the megahertz band, you'd have =
much less problems inside buildings and hospitals.

Note that you never want to use analog mode unless it's an emergency. If =
a hacker picks up your unsecure analog signal, they'll be able to clone =
your phone and run up your bill.


"Bill Roland" <[email protected]> wrote in message =
news:meMub.7594$zx.2721@lakeread03...
> I have 3 of those too, maybe I should haul one in and see what =
happens. No,
> I won't, but I bet it would wreak havoc on a lot of stuff around =
there. I
> do what the hospital politely asks, I turn my cell phone off at the =
door,
> but most people I know do not. The behavior of most Dual Mode phones =
I have
> seen is that the moment you walk in the hospital it switches to Analog =
with
> a very low signal, then you hit spots inside that have no service, =
others
> where you may have full strength, but its always Analog. The moment =
you
> step out the doors it returns to digital. I cannot explain it but it
> happens every time.
>=20
> Also, a few years back I had an aunt that had surgery at North Florida
> Regional in Gainesville. At the time they had, and still did have a =
few
> months ago when I was by there, a cell tower on top of the hospital. =
Not
> sure how good that is for all that sensitive equipment they are =
operating
> below...but that's their problem.
>=20
> "Thomas T. Veldhouse" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> >
> > "Bill Roland" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > newsADub.7066$zx.1846@lakeread03...
> > > Which is funny, I've seen many cell phones kick into Analog when =
inside
> > the
> > > hospital. I've seen at least 5 StarTACs do it...
> > >
> >
> > But your startac does not output 3 watts of power like the old bag =
phones.
> >
> > Tom Veldhouse
> >
> >
>=20
>

lol, good one!

"The Ghost of General Lee" <[email protected]> wrote in message =
news:[email protected]...
> On 18 Nov 2003 20:50:23 -0800, [email protected] (maryann) wrote:
>=20
> >There was a thread here a few months ago about cell phone use in
> >hospitals, with plenty of self righteous talk about the "dangers"=20
> >to the patients.
> >
> >I spent all of today in John Muir Hospital waiting for the gf to come =
out=20
> >of surgery, and noticed that each and every hospital employee appears =
to=20
> >be equipped with a cell phone. Needless to say, they
> >seem to think they won't kill the patients that way.
>=20
> Wanna have some fun with them? Change your banner to say "Phone is
> off". I got challanged when I walked into the lobby of our local
> hospital one day. I was only going into the business office where
> cell phone usage was not prohibited. I had set my banner to say
> "Phone is off" and when I showed the receptionist the screen, she read
> it and thanked me for complying.
>

Unless you are roaming, I seriously doubt this is the issue.
VZW uses the 800Mhz 'band' for both digital and analog in the areas
that they use 800Mhz, (the majority). There are a few exceptions, but
they are only in the very few areas that VZW runs both.

Now, if you loose VZW's signal, you may 'roam' unto a 1900Mhz carrier.



"John Eckart" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
The reason you get analog in the hospital and not digital is because analog runs in the megahertz band, and your particular cell
provider runs its digital service in the gigahertz band. Megahertz is a lower frequency which travels further and penetrates
buildings much better than the higher and more reflective gigahertz band. If you have a provider who runs its digital service in the
megahertz band, you'd have much less problems inside buildings and hospitals.

Note that you never want to use analog mode unless it's an emergency. If a hacker picks up your unsecure analog signal, they'll be
able to clone your phone and run up your bill.


"Bill Roland" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:meMub.7594$zx.2721@lakeread03...
> I have 3 of those too, maybe I should haul one in and see what happens. No,
> I won't, but I bet it would wreak havoc on a lot of stuff around there. I
> do what the hospital politely asks, I turn my cell phone off at the door,
> but most people I know do not. The behavior of most Dual Mode phones I have
> seen is that the moment you walk in the hospital it switches to Analog with
> a very low signal, then you hit spots inside that have no service, others
> where you may have full strength, but its always Analog. The moment you
> step out the doors it returns to digital. I cannot explain it but it
> happens every time.
>
> Also, a few years back I had an aunt that had surgery at North Florida
> Regional in Gainesville. At the time they had, and still did have a few
> months ago when I was by there, a cell tower on top of the hospital. Not
> sure how good that is for all that sensitive equipment they are operating
> below...but that's their problem.
>
> "Thomas T. Veldhouse" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> >
> > "Bill Roland" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > newsADub.7066$zx.1846@lakeread03...
> > > Which is funny, I've seen many cell phones kick into Analog when inside
> > the
> > > hospital. I've seen at least 5 StarTACs do it...
> > >
> >
> > But your startac does not output 3 watts of power like the old bag phones.
> >
> > Tom Veldhouse
> >
> >
>
>