What should I monitor during ECT?
Guidelines: Providers should address patient monitoring during the ECT process. Seizure duration should be monitored to ensure that an adequate ictal response occurred, to detect prolonged seizure activity, and to regulate stimulus dosage.
What should you assess before ECT?
Before having your first ECT treatment, you’ll need a full evaluation, which usually includes:
- Medical history.
- Complete physical exam.
- Psychiatric assessment.
- Basic blood tests.
- Electrocardiogram (ECG) to check your heart health.
- Discussion of the risks of anesthesia.
What are the parameters of ECT?
Specifically, there is strong theoretical and empirical evidence that stimulus parameters (pulse amplitude, shape, and width, and train frequency, directionality, polarity, and duration) exert unique neurobiological effects that are important for understanding ECT outcomes.
When should ECT be considered?
severe or life-threatening depression and your life is at risk so you need urgent treatment. moderate to severe depression and other treatments such as medication and talking therapies haven’t helped you. catatonia (staying frozen in one position, or making very repetitive or restless movements)
What are contraindications for ECT?
While there are no absolute contraindications to ECT, several relative contraindications exist. These include recent MI or stroke (generally within the last 30 days), increased intracranial pressure, active bleeding (especially from the central nervous system), retinal detachment, and unstable dentition.
What medications should be stopped before ECT?
Medication Information: Benzodiazepines, Depakote, Lamictal, Neurontin, Trileptal – Do not take the night time dose or morning dose before your treatment. Lithium – Do not take for 24 hours before each treatment. Glucophage/Metformin – Do not take for 12 hours before each treatment.
What are some complications of ECT?
The most common side effects of ECT on the day of treatment include nausea, headache, fatigue, confusion, and slight memory loss, which may last minutes to hours. These risks must be balanced with the consequences of ineffectively treated severe psychiatric disorders.
What is the voltage for ECT?
Typically, 70 to 120 volts are applied externally to the patient’s head, resulting in approximately 800 milliamperes of direct current passing through the brain, for a duration of 100 milliseconds to 6 seconds, either from temple to temple (bilateral ECT) or from front to back of one side of the head (unilateral ECT).
What is the duration of ECT?
How long is an ECT procedure? A single ECT session usually lasts one hour. This includes the time the patient will be in the treatment room (approximately 15-20 minutes) and the time spent in the recovery room (approximately 20-30 minutes).
Is ECT contraindicated in seizures?
We conclude that most epileptic patients can be treated with ECT without dose adjustment in antiepileptic medications and provide general recommendations for safe use of ECT in this population.
Why is atropine given before ECT?
Atropine treatment before electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is used for two main reasons: a) to prevent transient post-ictal bradyarrhythmias due to excessive vagal tone; b) to minimize secretions within the respiratory tract.
How do I complete the ECT work-up checklist?
ECT Work-Up Checklist This section to be completed by referring team Patient Details: Surname: Ward/Dept: First Name: Consultant: Title (Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms): Age: Sex: DOB: Patient NHS No: Telephone Address Diagnosis Proposed start date for ECT Date work-up checklist completed
What additional information should be included in an ECT assessment?
Assessment relevant to ECT referral where required Additional Information i.e. protective medication/any special dietary requirements Has patient been informed not to bring valuables to the ECT department Mood Rating Scale Outcome Score: (Montgomery & Asberg Depression Rating Scale [MADRs] recommended
What is it like to be an ECT teacher?
As an ECT (Early Career Teacher), starting a new teaching job can be really daunting, everything you’ve been training for is suddenly put into practice and the responsibility of managing a classroom full of children becomes yours.