Challenges and pitfalls in anesthesia for electroconvulsive therapy.
Best Pract Res Clin Anaesthesiol
; 35(2): 181-189, 2021 Jul.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-987184
ABSTRACT
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) refers to the application of electricity to the patients' scalp to treat psychiatric disorders, most notably, treatment-resistant depression. It is a safe, effective, and evidence-based therapy that is performed with general anesthesia. Muscle relaxation is used to prevent injuries related to the tonic-clonic seizure caused by ECT. Hypnotics are administered to induce amnesia and unconsciousness, so that, patients do not experience the period of muscle relaxation, while the generalized seizure is left unnoticed. For the anesthesiologist, ECT is associated with the challenges and pitfalls that are related to informed consent, social acceptance of ECT, airway management (especially in COVID-19 patients), and the interaction between ventilation and anesthetics from one viewpoint, and seizure induction and maintenance from another. The exact mode of action of the therapy is as unknown as the optimal choice or combination of anesthetics used.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Electroconvulsive Therapy
/
Depressive Disorder, Treatment-Resistant
/
COVID-19
/
Anesthesia
/
Anesthetics
Type of study:
Observational study
Limits:
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Best Pract Res Clin Anaesthesiol
Journal subject:
Anesthesiology
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
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