[Anesthesia for electroconvulsive therapy: propofol versus thiopental]

The anesthesia for sismotherapy is characterized by its briefness and repetitiveness, resulting in several imperatives: anesthesia of short duration, deep narcosis with muscular relaxation and ambulatory character. Thus anesthesic drugs should have a fast onset of action, in order to obtain a rapid and as alert as possible post anesthesia awakening. The objective of this study is to compare two anesthesic drugs: propofol versus thiopentone. We included in this study patients referred to our unit by the psychiatric service for sismotherapy, which was carried on under general anesthesia in the awakening room of the anesthesia department of Ibn Rochd University hospital. 7 of our patients received sismotherapy for schizophrenia, 2 for acute mania and 1 for suicidal depression. A total of 40 sessions of sismotherapy were analyzed, distributed in two groups: group I (n = 20): benefitted of a general anesthesia by thiopentone, the dose was 2 to 3 mg/kg; group II (n = 20): benefitted of general anesthesia by propofol, the dose was 1 to 1.5 mg/kg. Sismotherapy was carried out only once narcosis was considered as deep. To monitor our patients we used electrocardioscope and pulpe oxymeter. We evaluated the quality and especially the time of onset of anesthesia, its duration, the quality of narcosis, the degree of muscular relaxation, respiratory and cardiovascular parameters as well as side effect linked to anesthesia drugs and sismotherapy. Analysis of the results showed that the quality of anesthesia was excellent for both groups. The necessary dose for narcosis was 202 mg for thiopentone and 167 mg for propofol, time of onset of narcosis was 30 seconds for propofol and 45 seconds for thiopentone, anesthesia and the quality of muscular relaxation were considered deep for the two groups. Many authors showed that propofol is the most efficient agent in anesthesia for sismotherapy due to its brief delay of action and faster reversibility. As for thiopentone despite its convulsive properties and poor hemodynamic tolerance, it still is a good hypnotic in anesthesia for sismotherapy when administered at appropriate dose by slow injection. This is due on the one hand to easy administration, lesser incidence of side effects and on the other hand to brief duration of action and low cost. We conclude that thiopentone can be recommended in anesthesia for sismotherapy owing to good properties: deepness of anesthesia, good awakening, tolerance and lower cost.