Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-g8jcs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-25T10:09:50.207Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Effects of Electro-Convulsive Therapy on Patients with Essential Hypertension

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

P. O. Bodley  and
P. B. C. Fenwick
P. O. Bodley
Affiliation:
Oldchurch Hospital, Romford, Essex
P. B. C. Fenwick
Affiliation:
Warley Hospital, Brentwood, Essex
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

There is no doubt that electro-convulsive treatment is a safe treatment, perhaps very safe, yet from time to time reports of a fatality appear in the literature. When death occurs, most authorities agree that it is the cardiovascular system that fails. When there has been no suggestion of respiratory mismanagement, and death has been unrelated to the actual fit, vagal over-activity has received attention as a cause of death. It has been said that almost the only physical contraindication to treatment is a recent coronary thrombosis. Whatever the truth of this may be, uncertainty exists as to the “buffetings” an ischaemic myocardium or a diseased arterial system will tolerate.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 112 , Issue 493 , December 1966 , pp. 1241 - 1249
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1966 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alexander, S. P., Gahagan, L. H., and Lewis, W. H. (1956). “Deaths following electrotherapy.” J. Amer. med Ass., 161, 577–581.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Altschule, M. D., Sulzbach, W. M., and Tillotson, K. J. (1947). “Effect of electrically induced convulsions on peripheral venous pressure in man.” A.M.A. Arch. Neurol. Psychiat., 58, 193–199.Google Scholar
Barker, J. C., and Baker, A. A. (1959). “Deaths associated with electroplexy.” J. ment. Sci., 105, 339–348.Google Scholar
Bellet, S., Kirschbaum, A., and Furst, W. (1941). “Electrocardiogram during electrical shock treatment of mental disorders.” Am. J. med. Sci., 201, 167–177.Google Scholar
Brown, M. L., Brown, G. W., and Hines, H. M. (1952). “Changes in blood flow, blood pressure and cardiac rate associated with electro-convulsive shock.” Amer. J. Psychiat., 109, 27–31.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brown, M. L., Huston, P. E., Hines, H. M., and Brown, G. W. (1953). “Cardiovascular changes associated with electro-convulsive therapy in man.” A.M.A. Arch. Neurol. Psychiat., 69, 601–608.Google Scholar
Clement, A. J. (1962) “Atropine premedication for electro-convulsive therapy.” Brit. med. J., i, 228–229.Google Scholar
Colville, K. I., Ellis, C. H., Siversten, L. N., Gahagan, L. H., and de Beer, E. I. (1958). “Mechanisms involved in cardiovascular response to transcranial stimulation.” A.M.A. Arch. Neurol. Psychiat., 80, 374–379.Google Scholar
Dobkin, A. B. (1958). “Cardiac arrest following electroplexy.” Lancet, i, 640.Google Scholar
Egbert, , Dumas, , Ginter, and Eckenhoff, (1959). “Modification of the circulatory response to electroshock therapy by thiopental.” Anaesthesiology, May-June.Google Scholar
Gaitz, C. M., Pokorny, A. D., and Mills, M. (1956). “Death following electro-convulsive therapy. Report of three cases.” A.M.A. Arch. Neurol. Psychiat., 75, 493–499.Google Scholar
Griswold, R. L. (1958). “Plasma adrenaline and noradrenaline in electroshock in man and rats.” J. appl. Physiol., 12, 117–120.Google Scholar
Harris, T. A. (1954). “Protection during electrical therapy.” Guy's Hospital Reports, 103, 317–329.Google Scholar
Hoff, E. C. (1954). “Activation of cerebral automatic integration mechanisms in relation to the therapeutic process in electroshock.” Confin. neurol. (Supp.), 14, 306.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Holmberg, G., Thesleff, S., von Dardel, O., Hard, G., Ramqvist, N., and Pettersson, H. (1954). “Circulatory conditions in electroshock therapy with and without a muscle relaxant.” A.M.A. Arch. Neurol. Psychiat., 72, 73–79.Google Scholar
Impastato, D. J. (1957). “Prevention of fatalities in electroshock therapy.” Dis. nerv. Syst., 18, part ii, 34–35.Google ScholarPubMed
Maclay, W. S. (1953). “Death due to treatment.” Proc. roy. Soc. Med., 46, 13–20.Google Scholar
Nowill, W. K., Wilson, W., and Borders, R. (1954). “Succinylcholine chloride in electroshock therapy: cardiovascular reactions.” A.M.A. Arch. Neurol. Psychiat., 71, 189–197.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Will, O. A. Jr., Rehfeldt, F. C., and Neumann, M. A. (1948). “Fatality in electroshock therapy.” J. nerv. ment. Dis., 107, 105–126.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.