Safety of CPAP masks with magnets in patients with cardiac implanted devices
(2026) Sleep and Breathing — Vol. 30, n° 2, p. 145 (2026)
Files
Collard C, Sleep Breath, 2026.pdf
Open Access - Adobe PDF
- 670.06 KB
Details
- Authors
Robaye, Benoit 
Gilson, Arnaud
- Abstract
- Purpose CPAP mask manufacturers warn of a potential risk of interference between the magnets used to secure the masks and Cardiac Implanted Devices (CIDs). This raises questions about the current safety of these masks in clinical practice. Methods A single-centre study was conducted at the CHU-UCL-Namur (Godinne) to assess the risk of interference associated with the use of CPAP masks with magnets in patients with pacemakers and defibrillators. The pulmonology and cardiol-ogy databases were cross-referenced to identify the patients currently concerned in our hospital. An analysis of the memory of CIDs since the introduction of the magnetic mask and a real-life test involving direct contact between the mask magnet and the CID were carried out under cardiological supervision. Results Eleven patients (10 males, 71.9±6.9 years; BMI: 30.9±5.2 kg/m 2) were included: 5 with pacemakers, 6 with defibril-lators. They had a mask in the context of CPAP (10) or BiPAP (1) therapy (mean device use 7h10±1h12 /day). During follow-up of normal use (median 22.54 months [IQR: 18.3-65.2]), no interference was observed in the device memory. However, direct and prolonged contact between the mask magnet and the device housing case induced asynchronous pacing in 4 out of 5 pacemakers and transient therapies deactivation in 2 out of 6 defibrillators. Conclusion The use of masks without magnets is preferable in patients with CIDs. Nevertheless, considering the low risk observed in real-world conditions and the ergonomic advantages of these masks, these findings call into question their con-traindication provided by manufacturers and support consideration of their use in selected cases.
- Affiliations
Citations
Collard, C., Hoang, E., Robaye, B., Gilson, A., Dumonceaux, M., De Azevedo Coutinho Pereira, D., Vandenhove, T., Xhaet, O., & Maury, G. (2026). Safety of CPAP masks with magnets in patients with cardiac implanted devices. Sleep and Breathing, 30(2), 145. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-026-03694-z (Original work published 2026)