A General View of Electroconvulsive Therapy Practices in a Psychiatry Clinic of an University Hospital

Abstract

Objective: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has been used for the treatment for the psychiatric illnesses since 1938 and it was reported that the ratio of the use of ECT for the inpatients in Turkey ranged from 9% to 16.4 %. This study aimed to evaluate the frequency of the use of ECT with anaesthesia for the inpatients at a psychiatric clinic in a university, diagnosis groups receiving ECT and the efficiency and side effects of the use of ECT. Method: This study included 51 patients from among 2128 patients who had ECT with anaesthesia in the psychiatric clinic between the years 2007-2016. The sociodemographic data of the patients receiving ECT, the indications of the use of ECT, the number of the application and the efficiency and side effects of the treatment of ECT were examined. Results: It was found out that 51 (2.4 %) inpatients from among 2128 had received ECT. Of the patients, 45,1 % had major depression, 23,5 % bipolar disorder and 19,6 % had schizophrenia. ECT was most frequent side effect was the extension of the duration of the seizure and cardiac complications. Conclusion: It was found out that the use of ECT at our clinic was 2,35%. ECT was mostly used to cure the indications of major depression resistant to treatment and the most frequent side effect was the extension of the duration of the seizure and cardiac complications.