ECT in acute delirium and related clinical states

A retrospective investigation of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)-treated patients in 1992-94 at the Psychiatric Hospital in Aarhus, Denmark showed that en bloc treatment had been given in 39 cases of 420 patient series. The basic diagnoses (according to ICD-10) were severe depressive disorder, bipolar affective disorder mixed state, manic disorder, acute transient psychotic disorder, schizoaffective disorder, and schizophrenia; all patients were in a severely psychotic condition. Eight patients were diagnosed with acute delirium. Delirious symptoms disappeared completely after the first few ECT treatments. Patients were subsequently given supplementary treatment for the underlying disease. ECT is an effective treatment for psychoses complicated by acute delirium.