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Updated: May 13, 2026
04:51
Pupillary Response as Assessment of Effective Seizure Induction by Electroconvulsive Therapy
Published on: April 11, 2019
[Safety in general anesthesia for ambulatory electroconvulsive therapy]
Masami Sato1, Kiichi Hirota, Gotaro Shirakami
1Day Surgery Unit, Kyoto University Hospital, Kyoto 606-8507.
Masui. the Japanese Journal of Anesthesiology
|February 26, 2013
Summary
Ambulatory electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) under general anesthesia is safe and effective for mental health treatment. This study found minimal complications, with most patients experiencing mild side effects and no unplanned hospital admissions.
Area of Science:
- Anesthesiology
- Psychiatry
Context:
- Ambulatory electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is increasingly common due to cost-effectiveness and reduced patient social disruption.
- Evaluating general anesthesia protocols for ambulatory ECT is crucial for patient safety and recovery.
Purpose:
- To assess the safety and recovery profiles of general anesthesia during ambulatory electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).
- To analyze complications and recovery metrics in outpatients undergoing ECT for acute-phase or maintenance treatment.
Summary:
- A review of 762 bilateral ECT procedures in 40 outpatients revealed common anesthetic events like hypertension (37%) and tachycardia (28%).
- Post-anesthesia care included oxygen administration (21%), with minor side effects such as confusion (7%) and headache (5%).
- No patients required unplanned hospital admission, and only two ECT treatments (0.3%) led to unplanned returns due to psychiatric condition worsening.
Impact:
- General anesthesia using the studied protocol is safe for ambulatory ECT, with a low incidence of serious complications.
- The findings support the feasibility of ambulatory ECT with optimized anesthetic management.
- This research contributes to establishing best practices for anesthesia in outpatient ECT settings.
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