ABSTRACT
Although there is sufficient evidence of manic switch induced by bupropion or electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in bipolar depression, the evidence is not robust for unipolar recurrent depression. We present two patients with unipolar recurrent depression, with no family history of bipolarity or relevant personal medical history, who switched states while on a possible combination of bupropion and ECT. We believe that a hypersensitive state caused by ECT may have been aggravated by the dopamine synergistic action of bupropion, causing the switch. As current guidelines (American Psychiatric Association versus the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) give contradictory advice regarding the treatment of patients with severe depression especially about combining pharmacotherapy and ECT, such patients need to be carefully evaluated before being treated with ECT.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The number of electrical injuries are rising in proportion to the increased use of electricity in both domestic and industrial sectors. There are multiple ways in which electricity can cause tissue damage, which can be due to direct effects, electroporation and thermal effects. However, these mechanisms fail to explain the enigmatous occurrences of diffuse and delayed neurological and psychological manifestations, especially those remote to the theoretical current pathway and in absence of any gross neurological abnormalities. Immediate neuropsychological sequelae have been well reported in the literature in the form of transient anxiety, emotional instability and memory disturbances. Among psychiatric manifestations, neurotic disorders like post-traumatic stress disorder, conversion and adjustment disorders have been appreciated many a times as a frequent accompaniment of these injuries. Occasional reports of occurrence of mania have also been recorded. CASE STUDY: This study reports a case of schizophrenia like illness following a low voltage electrical injury. A discussion regarding the ways in which electrical injury and schizophrenia like illness could be related has been put forth. A brief review of the literature regarding the occurrence of psychiatric disorders in such injuries is also presented.
