Clinical experience of electroconvulsive therapy with anaesthetic and muscle relaxant at the Clínica Universidad de La Sabana: 2009–2017

Abstract

Introduction

Electroconvulsive therapy is an effective and safe procedure, which is indicated mainly in patients with both unipolar and bipolar depressive episodes, mania and schizophrenia, when they do not respond to other treatments.

Objective

To describe the demographic, social and clinical properties of a group of patients treated with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) with anaesthetic and muscular relaxant at the Universidad de La Sabana Clinic for a period of 8 years.

Methods

The databases and records of the procedures were reviewed from 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2017. An analysis was performed with descriptive statistics.

Results

In this period, 1322 procedures were performed on 143 patients (54.5% women) with an associated diagnosis of major depression in 57%. The number of treatments per person was 9.2 and complications occurred in 3.8%, without any of them requiring invasive management.

Conclusions

Electroconvulsive therapy is performed safely in patients and with different parameters in terms of age, gender and diagnosis, in comparison to other countries in Latin America and the world. It is important to join efforts in research that allow a more complete overview of the characteristics of its application in the country.