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Post-electroconvulsive therapy agitation with etomidate.

Scott A Freeman¹

¹Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA. scott.freeman@utsouthwestern.edu

The Journal of ECT

|June 5, 2009

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Post-electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) agitation is common. Switching anesthetic agents from etomidate back to methohexital resolved significant agitation in one patient, highlighting anesthetic choice as a key factor.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Anesthesiology
Psychiatry

Background:

Agitation following electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) presents a significant clinical challenge, often requiring intervention.
The etiology of post-ECT agitation is multifactorial, with anesthetic agents being a potential contributing factor.

Observation:

A patient experiencing significant agitation after ECT treatments using etomidate was observed.
This agitation occurred despite several prior uneventful ECT sessions conducted under methohexital anesthesia.

Findings:

The use of etomidate as an anesthetic agent was associated with a marked increase in post-ECT agitation.
Switching the anesthetic back to methohexital resulted in the complete cessation of post-ECT agitation episodes.

Implications:

Anesthetic selection plays a crucial role in managing post-ECT agitation.
Clinicians should consider the potential impact of anesthetic agents like etomidate on patient agitation after ECT.