Electromagnetic Compatibility Assessment of Medical Devices in Nigerian Hospital Environments

Electromagnetic interference from the increasingly dense wireless communication environment in Nigerian hospitals represents an underrecognized threat to implantable and life-support medical device performance, and empirical characterization of electromagnetic field levels and device susceptibility in Nigerian hospital environments fills a critical research gap. This study empirically assesses electromagnetic compatibility conditions in three Nigerian tertiary hospitals in Lagos, Kaduna, and Imo states, and evaluates the susceptibility of selected implantable and patient-connected devices to measured electromagnetic field levels. Electromagnetic field surveys were conducted in intensive care units, operating theatres, patient wards, and diagnostic departments, measuring radiofrequency field intensities from GSM 900 and 1800 MHz, Wi-Fi 2.4 and 5 GHz, Bluetooth, and hospital wireless physiological monitoring systems using a calibrated broadband field probe and spectrum analyser. Measured field levels were compared against IEC 60601-1-2 electromagnetic compatibility immunity requirements for medical device classes. Susceptibility testing was conducted on five device types including an implantable cardiac pacemaker simulator, an infusion pump, a patient monitor, and a ventilator, exposed to measured worst-case field levels at defined separation distances. Radiofrequency field levels in ICU environments exceeded IEC 60601-1-2 general electromagnetic compatibility immunity test levels at seventeen percent of measurement positions, predominantly attributable to high-density Wi-Fi access point installations and staff mobile phone use. Susceptibility testing identified visible pacemaker interference at GSM handset separation distances below fifteen centimetres, consistent with published susceptibility data but indicating non-compliance with many hospital policies permitting phones at greater distances. The study recommends formal electromagnetic field management policies and device-specific interference safety zones. Keywords: electromagnetic compatibility, medical devices, hospital environment, radiofrequency interference, patient safety.