Author: Michael A. Evans, MD – Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine


A 17-year-old child with an automated implantable cardioverter defibrillator (AICD) placed for congenital long QT syndrome presents to the operating room emergently for fixation of a right-sided open radial fracture. The surgeon plans to use electrocautery for the procedure. Device reprogramming by the electrophysiology service is not possible due to the emergent nature of the procedure. Which of the following strategies is MOST EFFECTIVE to minimize the source of electromagnetic interference with the AICD?