[CarrotAndStick]

Myth: Mobile phones are dangerous in hospitals.

Fact: There are no known cases of death related to this one. Cases of less-serious interference with hospital devices seem to be largely anecdotal, the researchers found. In one real study, mobile phones were found to interfere with 4 percent of devices, but only when the phone was within 3 feet of the device. A more recent study, this year, found no interference in 300 tests in 75 treatment rooms. To the contrary, when doctors use mobile phones, the improved communication means they make fewer mistakes.

Oh, I wouldn't be too sure about that. I have a USB receiver attached to the notebook via a USB extension cord. Whenever I accidently place my mobile phone near or on the cable, and the phone receives a call, the computer's USB port fails immediately, and I'll have to perform a restart to get it working again. I'm sure the interference of the boosted signal, while receiving a call, is causing errors in the data flow through the cable. It's the same reason one hears a "buzz" whenever a mobile phone, on call, is placed near an earphone cord.

[Don W]

I think you missed something: In one real study, mobile phones were found to interfere with 4 percent of devices, but only when the phone was within 3 feet of the device.

[Mr Inviso]

This one used to be true. The old bag-sized analog phones used to clobber our EKG telemetry equipment easily. We could tell when someone made a call, because we’d lose about 12 patient’s screens right away. since the reallocation of frequencies and the change to largely digital equipment its no longer true.