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Continuous transthoracic echocardiography in a 93-year-old patient with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy during

Albert R Robinson1, Richard Holbert, Jerome H Modell

  • 1University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610-0254, USA. arobinson@anest.ufl.edu

The Journal of ECT
|August 26, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) may be safe for patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Continuous echocardiography monitoring during ECT in an HCM patient showed decreased left ventricular outflow tract obstruction.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Neurology
  • Medical Devices

Background:

  • Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a primary treatment for major depressive disorder unresponsive to antidepressants.
  • Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) can cause dynamic left ventricular (LV) outflow tract obstruction.
  • The impact of ECT on myocardial function in HCM patients with LV outflow obstruction is not well understood.

Observation:

  • This study reports the first use of continuous transthoracic echocardiography during ECT in a patient diagnosed with HCM.
  • The monitoring confirmed the presence of LV outflow tract obstruction.
  • A decrease in LV outflow tract gradients was observed during the procedure.

Findings:

  • Continuous transthoracic echocardiography is a feasible method for monitoring myocardial function during ECT in patients with HCM.
  • ECT administration in this HCM patient resulted in a reduction of LV outflow tract obstruction gradients.

Implications:

  • This case suggests that ECT may be safely administered to select HCM patients with LV outflow tract obstruction under continuous echocardiographic monitoring.
  • Further research is warranted to establish the safety and efficacy of ECT in this specific patient population.
  • Echocardiography provides valuable real-time data for managing cardiovascular risks during ECT.

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