Troponin elevations after electroconvulsive therapy: the need for caution

Alfentanil Pretreatment for Electroconvulsive Therapy-Associated Hemodynamic Lability: A Prospective Randomized Crossover Trial

OBJECTIVES

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is frequently associated with significant hemodynamic changes that increase myocardial oxygen demand including significant hypertension poststimulus. This raises concern about the cumulative effect of repetitive stress from ECT. Historically, various agents have been used to blunt this response and reduce hemodynamic fluctuations in these patients with varying degrees of efficacy. We hypothesized that bolus alfentanil administration timed with the ECT stimulus may reduce near-term hypertension and heart rate (HR) increases in patients undergoing ECT.

METHODS

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled AB/BA crossover trial of 87 patients 18 years or older with mood disorders was carried out. Patients received a standardized anesthetic regimen including induction with methohexital and succinylcholine and were randomized to receive either 20 μg/kg ideal bodyweight of alfentanil or placebo 60 seconds before the ECT stimulus for the first treatment and then crossed over to the other group for the second treatment. The primary outcome was the within-individual difference in preinduction systolic blood pressure and the first systolic blood pressure after the ECT stimulus.

RESULTS

Eighty-seven patients completed the protocol. The primary outcome of increase in systolic blood pressure pre-ECT to post-ECT was 16.9 mm Hg less in the alfentanil group than the placebo group (95% confidence interval, -26.0 to -7.8; P < 0.001). The maximum HR was 6.5 beats per minute lower (95% confidence interval, -12.1 to -0.9; P = 0.024) when patients received alfentanil compared with placebo.

CONCLUSIONS

Premedication with alfentanil reduces poststimulus hypertension and increased HR in patients receiving ECT and therefore, may reduce morbidity related to this in susceptible patients.

The Cardiovascular Side Effects of Electroconvulsive Therapy and Their Management

ABSTRACT

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) remains stigmatized in the broader medical community because of misunderstandings about treatment procedures, mortality rates, and cardiovascular complications. Electroconvulsive therapy causes periprocedural hemodynamic variability because of the surges in parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems after the administration of the electrical charge. Patients experience an increase in cardiac workload, which is potentially dangerous for patients with preexisting heart disease. Several findings suggest that cardiac complications occur most frequently in patients with underlying cardiovascular disease. We describe the cardiovascular complications that may result from ECT treatment and offer insight on how to mitigate these concerns if they occur. PubMed was queried using terms "electroconvulsive therapy" and "cardiovascular adverse effects." A table is provided with the common cardiovascular side effects of ECT and the most recent evidence-based treatment strategies to manage them. Generally, ECT is a safe procedure in which complications are minor and manageable. Most major complications caused by ECT are related to the cardiovascular system; however, with an appropriate pre-ECT evaluation and a comprehensive multidisciplinary team approach, the cardiovascular complications can be well managed and minimized. Providing proper cardiac clearance can prevent cardiac complications and provide timely care to treatment-resistant populations who are at risk for excessive morbidity and suicide.

Cardiac stress after electroconvulsive therapy and spontaneous generalized convulsive seizures: A prospective echocardiographic and blood biomarker study

AIM

Knowledge about cardiac stress related to seizures in electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and spontaneously occurring generalized convulsive seizures (GCS) is limited. The aim of the present study was to analyze cardiac function and circulating markers of cardiac stress in the early postictal period after ECT and GCS.

METHODS

Patients undergoing ECT in the Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics and patients undergoing diagnostic video-EEG monitoring (VEM) in the Department of Neurology were prospectively enrolled between November 2017 and November 2018. Cardiac function was examined twice using transthoracic echocardiography within 60 min and >4 h after ECT or GCS. Established blood markers (troponin T high-sensitive, N-terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide) of cardiac stress or injury were collected within 30 min, 4 to 6 h, and 24 h after ECT or GCS. In the ECT group, the troponin T values were also correlated with periprocedural heart rate and blood pressure values. Because of organizational or technical reasons, the measurement was not performed in all patients.

RESULTS

Twenty patients undergoing ECT and 6 patients with epilepsy with a GCS during VEM were included. Postictal echocardiography showed no wall motion disorders and no change in left ventricular and right ventricular functions. Four of 17 patients displayed a transient increase in high-sensitive cardiac troponin T 4-6 h after the seizure (3 patients with ECT-induced seizure). None of these 4 patients had signs of an acute cardiac event, and periprocedural blood pressure or heart rate peaks during ECT did not significantly differ in patients with and without troponin T elevation.

CONCLUSIONS

Signs of mild cardiac stress can occur in some patients following ECT or GCS without clinical complications, probably related to excessive catecholamine release during the seizure.

The impact of electroconvulsive therapy on the spatial QRS-T angle and cardiac troponin T concentration in psychiatric patients

Background

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an effective treatment method used in psychiatry; however, its cardiac safety has not been clearly demonstrated. The aim of the study was evaluation of the ECT effects on the myocardium based on troponin T concentrations and the following ECG parameters: the spatial QRS-T angle (QRS-TA), QRS duration (QRSd) and the corrected QT interval (QTc).

Methods

In the study 44 patients (12 female and 32 male) were enrolled diagnosed with schizophrenia (n = 21) and major depressive disorders (n = 23), according to the DSM-IVR criteria. All cases were undergoing ECT procedures. The mean age of the patients was 36.9±16 years (range: 18–74). Resting ECG was recorded before performing ECG and 1 hour after. The spatial QRS-TA was reconstructed from 12-lead ECG using the inverse Dower method. Troponin T concentration was assessed before the procedure and 6 hours after ECT.

Results

No significant changes to troponin T concentrations were observed during the ECT series. The pre-ECT value of the spatial QRS-TA was 41.1±18.9°. The follow-up examinations did not reveal any significant increase of this parameter (p = 0.09) in any of the consecutive measurements. There were no significant changes in the QTc interval duration or the QRS complex duration demonstrated before the third, fifth and last procedure in the cycle (p>0.05). No significant changes to troponin T concentrations were observed during the ECT series.

Conclusions

Our findings indicate a lack of negative ECT effects on the risk of adverse cardiovascular events measured by the spatial QRS-T angle and cardiac troponin T concentration.

Major Adverse Cardiac Events and Mortality Associated with Electroconvulsive Therapy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Cardiac events after electroconvulsive therapy have been reported sporadically, but a systematic assessment of the risk is missing. The goal of this study was to obtain a robust estimate of the incidence of major adverse cardiac events in adult patients undergoing electroconvulsive therapy.

METHODS

Systematic review and meta-analysis of studies that investigated electroconvulsive therapy and reported major adverse cardiac events and/or mortality. Endpoints were incidence rates of major adverse cardiac events, including myocardial infarction, arrhythmia, pulmonary edema, pulmonary embolism, acute heart failure, and cardiac arrest. Additional endpoints were all-cause and cardiac mortality. The pooled estimated incidence rates and 95% CIs of individual major adverse cardiac events and mortality per 1,000 patients and per 1,000 electroconvulsive therapy treatments were calculated.

RESULTS

After screening of 2,641 publications and full-text assessment of 284 studies, the data of 82 studies were extracted (total n = 106,569 patients; n = 786,995 electroconvulsive therapy treatments). The most commonly reported major adverse cardiac events were acute heart failure, arrhythmia, and acute pulmonary edema with an incidence (95% CI) of 24 (12.48 to 46.13), 25.83 (14.83 to 45.00), and 4.92 (0.85 to 28.60) per 1,000 patients or 2.44 (1.27 to 4.69), 4.66 (2.15 to 10.09), and 1.50 (0.71 to 3.14) per 1,000 electroconvulsive therapy treatments. All-cause mortality was 0.42 (0.11 to 1.52) deaths per 1,000 patients and 0.06 (0.02 to 0.23) deaths per 1,000 electroconvulsive therapy treatments. Cardiac death accounted for 29% (23 of 79) of deaths.

CONCLUSIONS

Major adverse cardiac events and death after electroconvulsive therapy are infrequent and occur in about 1 of 50 patients and after about 1 of 200 to 500 electroconvulsive therapy treatments.

High-sensitivity Cardiac Troponin Elevation after Electroconvulsive Therapy: A Prospective, Observational Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

While electroconvulsive therapy is widely regarded as a lifesaving and safe procedure, evidence regarding its effects on myocardial cell injury is sparse. The objective of this investigation was to determine the incidence and magnitude of new cardiac troponin elevation after electroconvulsive therapy using a novel high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I assay.

METHODS

This was a prospective cohort study in adult patients undergoing electroconvulsive therapy in a single academic center (up to three electroconvulsive therapy treatments per patient). The primary outcome was new high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I elevation after electroconvulsive therapy, defined as an increase of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I greater than 100% after electroconvulsive therapy compared to baseline with at least one value above the limit of quantification (10 ng/l). Twelve-lead electrocardiogram and high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I values were obtained before and 15 to 30 min after electroconvulsive therapy; in a subset of patients, an additional 2-h high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I value was obtained.

RESULTS

The final study population was 100 patients and a total of 245 electroconvulsive therapy treatment sessions. Eight patients (8 of 100; 8%) experienced new high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I elevation after electroconvulsive therapy with a cumulative incidence of 3.7% (9 of 245 treatments; one patient had two high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I elevations), two of whom had a non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (incidence 2 of 245; 0.8%). Median high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I concentrations did not increase significantly after electroconvulsive therapy. Tachycardia and/or elevated systolic blood pressure developed after approximately two thirds of electroconvulsive therapy treatments.

CONCLUSIONS

Electroconvulsive therapy appears safe from a cardiac standpoint in a large majority of patients. A small subset of patients with preexisting cardiovascular risk factors, however, may develop new cardiac troponin elevation after electroconvulsive therapy, the clinical relevance of which is unclear in the absence of signs of myocardial ischemia.