Key result
Electroconvulsive therapy was safely administered to patients with implanted cardiac devices, with all 29 patients obtaining antidepressant benefits and only 1 (3.4%) experiencing a serious cardiac event.
Why the study?
Is electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) safe and effective in patients with cardiac pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators?
Observational (n=29)
Is electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) safe and effective in patients with cardiac pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators?
With proper pre-procedural assessment, electroconvulsive therapy can be safely and effectively administered to patients with implanted cardiac pacemakers or defibrillators.
Supports cautious ECT use in patients with cardiac devices under monitoring; leaves open need for larger prospective confirmation.
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is used to treat major depressive illness, especially in elderly and medically frail patients. Not uncommonly, these patients have cardiac pacemakers or implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs). Only a few case reports in the literature describe the use of ECT in such patients. Herein we review our ECT experience treating 26 pacemaker patients and 3 ICD patients. All patients obtained significant antidepressant benefits with ETC. Only one serious cardiac event occurred, a case of supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) requiring a stay on the cardiac intensive care unit. The SVT resolved and the patient went on to receive further uncomplicated ECT treatments. We conclude from this experience that with proper pre-ECT cardiac and pacemaker/defibrillator assessment, ECT can be safely and effectively administered to patients with an implanted cardiac device.
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Dolenc et al. (2004) conducted an observational in Major depressive illness in patients with cardiac pacemakers or ICDs (n=29). Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) was evaluated on Serious cardiac event. Electroconvulsive therapy was safely administered to patients with implanted cardiac devices, with all 29 patients obtaining antidepressant benefits and only 1 (3.4%) experiencing a serious cardiac event.
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