Novel use of the Nexfin HD monitor for hemodynamic management during electroconvulsive therapy in a patient with an unrepaired abdominal aortic aneurysm

Cerebral and Aortic Aneurysms in Electroconvulsive Therapy Patients: A Systematic Review and Results From 12 Years of Screening

INTRODUCTION

Theoretically, the procedural risk of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) could be increased in the presence of undetected aneurysms due to the hemodynamic changes associated with ECT. However, empirical evidence is limited to few individual case reports and case series.

METHODS

We performed a systematic review of available evidence on ECT treatment in patients with intracranial aneurysms and untreated aortic aneurysms and we retrospectively analyzed data from 252 consecutive patients referred for ECT at the Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics of Siegen Hospital, Germany, who received magnetic resonance angiographies and abdominal sonographies as part of their routine pre-ECT workup.

RESULTS

Of 252 patients referred for ECT, 5 (2.0%) were found to have an intracerebral aneurysm and 1 (0.4%) was found to have an abdominal aortic aneurysm. These cases are reported in detail together with 2 additional cases of aortic aneurysms from the Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, Germany. Electroconvulsive therapy was performed without complications in all 8 cases.

CONCLUSIONS

Aneurysms might occur in ECT patients at a similar rate as in the general population. The number of ECTs performed annually in mostly unscreened patients suggests that there might be a significant number of patients with undetected aneurysms in whom ECT is performed without reported complications.

Anesthetic management of modified electroconvulsive therapy for a patient with coronary aneurysms: a case report

Background

Modified electroconvulsive therapy (m-ECT) is utilized worldwide as an effective treatment for drug-resistant psychiatric disorders. However, during m-ECT, treatment of hypotension and hypertension in response to rapid hemodynamic changes is required. We used noninvasive continuous blood pressure monitoring system for continuous hemodynamic measurement during m-ECT.

Case presentation

The patient was a 77-year-old man with depression complicated by coronary artery aneurysms (CAAs). We managed general anesthesia during m-ECT by using the ClearSight™ system (Edwards Lifesciences Corp, Irvine, CA, USA) for hemodynamic measurement. As a result, we performed a total of 10 m-ECTs. No rupture of CAAs or myocardial ischemia occurred and depressive symptoms improved.

Conclusion

We successfully managed the anesthesia in m-ECT for a depressed patient with CAAs without complications by using the ClearSight™ system, which was used for the effective management of circulatory fluctuations.

Anesthesia Management of Special Patient Populations Undergoing Electroconvulsive Therapy: A Review

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is the safe application of electricity to the scalp of a patient, using brief-pulse stimulation techniques under general anesthesia and muscle paralysis, inducing a series of generalized epileptic seizures. Principal indications for ECT are major depression (unipolar or bipolar) with a lack of response to medications, intolerance to medications due to side effects or coexisting conditions, the need for a rapid response because of other conditions such as catatonia, psychosis, suicidality, or clinically significant dehydration or malnutrition, mania, and schizophreniform disorder or schizoaffective disorder, and, medical disorders such as Parkinson's disease, neuroleptic malignant syndrome, and chronic pain. Anesthesia management of special patient populations undergoing ECT has been described in textbooks and guidelines, but some descriptions may be antiquated. Therefore, this review describes recent knowledge on anesthesia management of patients who require ECT, such as those with neurologic disorders, cardiovascular disorders, pregnancy, and other concurrent medical illness. Based on the findings of a recent paper, ECT may be safer than is widely reported. According to the American Psychiatric Association, ECT has no absolute contraindications; however, some conditions pose a relatively high risk, and there are many other kinds of complications associated with ECT that can lead to death. Understanding such complications and their management strategies can avoid unnecessary discontinuation of treatment due to manageable complications of ECT and, furthermore, ECT clinicians must also consider the risk-benefit ratio when treating high-risk patients.