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Canadian Journal of Anesthesia, Vol 28, 153-157, Copyright © 1981 by Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society

Anaesthesia for Electroconvulsive Therapy: A Psychiatric Viewpoint

CHARLES L. RICH M.D.1 and N. TY SMITH M.D.1

1 University of California at San Diego; Staff Psychiatrist, San Diego Veterans' Administration Medical Center

Address correspondence to Dr. Rich at the Veterans' Administration Medical Center (116A), 3350 La Jolla Village Drive, San Diego, California 92161, U.S.A.

Brief general anaesthesia has added to the safety and comfort of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). While usually a simple procedure, there are several areas in which ECT differs from other procedures requiring brief anaesthesia. These differences call for even more collaboration between psychiatrist and anaesthetist than is customary. This review details the areas where the anaesthetic management may affect the outcome of ECT for both an individual treatment and a treatment series. These include the patient evaluation, the patient preparation, the sequence and doses of anaesthetic agents, and the recovery period. Because each patient receives a series of treatments, an optimum regimen from both the psychiatric and anaesthetic standpoints can ultimately be achieved.

Key Words: ANAESTHESIA • electroshock






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Copyright © 1981 by the Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society.