An acute course of electroconvulsive therapy usually involves two to three treatments per week, for a total of six to 12 treatments. The treatments are administered in the short procedures area of the hospital by a psychiatrist, an anesthesiologist, and trained nurse.
The three-step process to start electroconvulsive therapy. An acute course of electroconvulsive therapy usually involves two to three treatments per week, for a total of six to 12 treatments. The treatments are administered in the short procedures area of the hospital by a psychiatrist, an anesthesiologist, and trained nurse.
Ongoing treatment may be ECT with less frequency, but more often, it includes antidepressants or other medications, or psychological counseling (psychotherapy). What is electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)?
"Electroconvulsive therapy: recent recommendations are likely to improve standards and uniformity of use". British Medical Journal. 326 (7403): 1343–4. doi: 10.1136/bmj.326.7403.1343.
Having been studied and refined over many decades, the vastly improved techniques used today for electroconvulsive therapy can bring significant relief for patients who have not responded to other therapies.
In the United States, ECT treatments are generally given two to three times weekly for three to four weeks — for a total of six to 12 treatments. Some doctors use a newer technique called right unilateral ultrabrief pulse electroconvulsive therapy that's done daily on weekdays.
Maintenance ECT involves getting treatments every two weeks to every month, usually for a period of six months to a year. But patients have gone on maintenance ECT for up to three years, depending on their response.
More recent studies on ECT and schizophrenia use up to 20 sessions, and it is possible that a larger number of sessions would result in more significant group differences [22].
ECT is among the safest and most effective treatments available for depression. With ECT, electrodes are placed on the patient's scalp and a finely controlled electric current is applied while the patient is under general anesthesia. The current causes a brief seizure in the brain.
ECT is typically administered three times a week for up to 12 treatments, but the exact course of treatment depends on the nature of the illness and the person's response to treatment.
The ECT taper from an acute series to a maintenance schedule is generally once a week for 4 treatments, then every 2 weeks for 4 treatments, then every 3 weeks for 4 treatments, then every 4 weeks. There is no limit on how long a patient can receive maintenance ECT provided the treatment is effective.
Extensive research has found ECT to be highly effective for the relief of major depression. Clinical evidence indicates that for individuals with uncomplicated, but severe major depression, ECT will produce substantial improvement in approximately 80 percent of patients.
After the Procedure When you awaken, you may experience a period of disorientation lasting from a few minutes to several hours. Headaches, jaw pain, and muscle soreness may occur. ECT requires a series of treatments, often initiated two to three times a week for a few weeks and then the frequency is tapered down.
How ECT is Performed. While the patient is under full general anesthesia, a muscle relaxant is given and electrodes are applied to the scalp. A brief electrical stimulus is delivered. The effective stimuli produce a mild seizure which changes the activity of the brain.
Today, ECT is administered to an estimated 100,000 people a year, primarily in general hospital psychiatric units and in psychiatric hospitals. It is generally used in treating patients with severe depression, acute mania, and certain schizophrenic syndromes.
TMS is an outpatient procedure, in which the patient stays awake the entire time and can be performed in a doctor's office in less than 30 minutes. ECT is a procedure typically administered in a hospital with the patient sedated under anesthesia and can require an inpatient stay.
It has been shown to be effective in many who have not responded to other forms of treatment. In fact, between 50 – 70 percent of patients who previously did not respond to medications will respond positively to ECT.
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a treatment in which a patient under general anesthetic will have an electrical current passed through his or her brain, causing a seizure in the brain. This therapy was developed in the 1930s and has become a painless, safe, effective therapy for a number of psychiatric problems.
IF you wish to wear your glasses to the treatment area, pleas bring the case with you. Bladder: You will be asked to empty your bladder about 15min prior to your treatment. This is to avoid incontinence during the treatment. Medication: Occasionally a medication will be given 1-2 hrs prior to treatment.
When you awaken you will find nurses in attendance who carry out the following procedures: Blood pressure, pulse and respirations taken every 5-10min. Oxygen is given by mask or nasal prongs. A heart monitor may be used to provide nursing staff with the information about your heart beat.
Some patients experience longer-lasting problems with recalling memories from around the time of the ECT, and occasionally problems recalling some distant events. These memory effects generally subside once the ECT is completed. A few patients may have more severe problems remembering events from the distant past.
You should always report possible side effects to your nurses or psychiatrist, so the treatment team can work to reduce them. ECT is considered very safe, and no more dangerous than a minor surgical procedure requiring a short general anesthetic. A current estimate of mortality in ECT is 2 in every 100,000 treatments.
You may experience some acute confusion on the day of the ECT treatment, which most often resolves quickly. You may also forget recent events or events occurring around the time that you have the ECT. These memory problems are usually minor and may be decreased by slight changes in the procedure.
An acute course of electroconvulsive therapy usually involves two to three treatments per week, for a total of six to 12 treatments.
An acute course of electroconvulsive therapy usually involves two to three treatments per week, for a total of six to 12 treatments. The treatments are administered in the short procedures area of the hospital by a psychiatrist, an anesthesiologist, and trained nurse.
Electroconvulsive therapy an effective treatment for clinical depression. Electroconvulsive therapy is most commonly used to treat severe depression that has not improved with medications or other forms of therapy. It also may be used to treat other serious mental illnesses or to help prevent suicide. Electroconvulsive therapy is one of the most ...
Ask for a referral – To be evaluated for electroconvulsive therapy treatment at Main Line Health, a physician referral is required. Patients must be 18 years of age or older.
You will be monitored throughout the procedure and for about an hour afterward then discharged home. Following a successful acute course of electroconvulsive therapy, you may receive maintenance ECT, which involves less frequent treatments over an extended period of time.
The most common side effects include short-term memory and learning problems, confusion, headache, upset stomach and muscle aches. Memory and learning problems may persist for longer in some patients but usually subside over time after completion of a course of ECT treatment.
To schedule an appointment for outpatient services, call between 8:30 am–5:30 pm, Monday through Friday. An on-staff professional will assess your needs, answer questions, help with a crisis or direct you to the most appropriate level of care.
Electroconvulsive therapy machine on display at Glenside Museum in Bristol, England. ECT device produced by Siemens and used for example at the Asyl psychiatric hospital in Kristiansand, Norway from the 1960s to the 1980s.
The ECT procedure was first conducted in 1938 by Italian psychiatrist Ugo Cerletti and rapidly replaced less safe and effective forms of biological treatments in use at the time. ECT is often used with informed consent as a safe and effective intervention for major depressive disorder, mania, and catatonia.
As of 2012, there are approximately 400 ECT machines in China, and 150,000 ECT treatments are performed each year. Chinese national practice guidelines recommend ECT for the treatment of schizophrenia, depressive disorders, and bipolar disorder and in the Chinese literature, ECT is an effective treatment for schizophrenia and mood disorders. Although the Chinese government stopped classifying homosexuality as an illness in 2001, electroconvulsive therapy is still used by some establishments as a form of " conversion therapy ".
There is little agreement on the most appropriate follow-up to ECT for people with major depressive disorder. When ECT is followed by treatment with antidepressants, about 50% of people relapsed by 12 months following successful initial treatment with ECT, with about 37% relapsing within the first 6 months.
ECT is used to treat people who have severe or prolonged mania; NICE recommends it only in life-threatening situations or when other treatments have failed and as a second-line treatment for bipolar mania.
ECT became popular in the US in the 1940s. At the time, psychiatric hospitals were overrun with patients whom doctors were desperate to treat and cure. Whereas lobotomies would reduce a patient to a more manageable submissive state, ECT helped to improve mood in those with severe depression. A survey of psychiatric practice in the late 1980s found that an estimated 100,000 people received ECT annually, with wide variation between metropolitan statistical areas. Accurate statistics about the frequency, context and circumstances of ECT in the US are difficult to obtain because only a few states have reporting laws that require the treating facility to supply state authorities with this information. In 13 of the 50 states, the practice of ECT is regulated by law. In the mid-1990s in Texas, ECT was used in about one third of psychiatric facilities and given to about 1,650 people annually. Usage of ECT has since declined slightly; in 2000–01 ECT was given to about 1500 people aged from 16 to 97 (in Texas it is illegal to give ECT to anyone under sixteen). ECT is more commonly used in private psychiatric hospitals than in public hospitals, and minority patients are underrepresented in the ECT statistics. In the United States, ECT is usually given three times a week; in the United Kingdom, it is usually given twice a week. Occasionally it is given on a daily basis. A course usually consists of 6–12 treatments, but may be more or fewer. Following a course of ECT some patients may be given continuation or maintenance ECT with further treatments at weekly, fortnightly or monthly intervals. A few psychiatrists in the US use multiple-monitored ECT (MMECT), where patients receive more than one treatment per anesthetic. Electroconvulsive therapy is not a required subject in US medical schools and not a required skill in psychiatric residency training. Privileging for ECT practice at institutions is a local option: no national certification standards are established, and no ECT-specific continuing training experiences are required of ECT practitioners.
A few psychiatrists in the US use multiple-monitored ECT (MMECT), where patients receive more than one treatment per anesthetic. Electroconvulsive therapy is not a required subject in US medical schools and not a required skill in psychiatric residency training.
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a type of psychiatric treatment that induces a seizure for symptomatic relief of depression. Therefore, it is essential for the nurse to be knowledgeable about this procedure, including nursing interventions, to ensure the safety and comfort of the patient.
It is imperative that the nurse regard this procedure with reverence and prepare the patient in a specific, systematic fashion to ensure no steps are missed. Patient safety is of utmost importance, and preparation is key.
The procedure itself involves placing electrodes (unilaterally or bilaterally as per the provider) on the patient's head to induce seizure activity. The delivery of electrical impulses allows for immediate repair of any chemical imbalances.
The treatments are usually given three times a week — Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a safe and effective treatment for certain psychiatric disorders. ECT is most commonly used to treat severe depression (major depression). It is often the fastest and best treatment available for this illness. ECT is also sometimes used to treat other psychiatric disorders, such as:
Patient education: Depression (The Basics) Beyond the Basics — Beyond the Basics patient education pieces are longer, more sophisticated, and more detailed. These articles are best for patients who want in-depth information and are comfortable with some medical jargon.
Because of the short-lived side effects on your memory, it is important that you postpone any major decisions until a week or two after the ECT course. It is also important that you do not drive during your course of ECT.
This is partially due to the anesthesia and partially due to the treatment. In most people, the confusion passes within an hour. You may also have a headache the day of the treatment. A pain reliever, if necessary, usually helps. Other side effects, such as nausea, typically last only for a few hours.
If your doctor suggests that you be treated with ECT, it is because he or she believes that you have a disorder that will improve with ECT. Discuss this with your doctor. Before ECT begins, your doctor will carefully assess your medical condition to make sure that ECT is safe for you.
The muscle relaxant may cause mild muscle soreness after the treatment, but this soreness will pass. Once your medical team is sure that you are deeply asleep and that your muscles are completely relaxed, they will administer the ECT treatment.