A survey of ECT in a general hospital psychiatry unit

A review of the 2,256 admissions to a general hospital psychiatry unit between April 1982 and December 1987 showed that 129 (6%) had been treated with electro-convulsive therapy (ECT); 91% of these had a diagnosis of mood disorder. Most patients were taking concurrent psychotropic medication and received an average of 9 treatments per course of ECT. Men and patients taking benzodiazepines had shorter convulsions. However, there were no differences in seizure length and number of treatments between younger and older patients and between those taking and not taking tricyclic antidepressants.