Evaluating Anesthesia Practices, Patient Characteristics, and Outcomes in Electroconvulsive Therapy: A Two-Year Retrospective Study

Abstract

Background: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a well-established treatment for various psychiatric disorders. This retrospective study evaluates anesthesia practices, patient characteristics, and outcomes in ECT over a two-year period at the “Dr. Gheorghe Preda” Clinical Psychiatry Hospital in Sibiu, Romania. Methods: From March 2022 to July 2024, the Neuroscience Scientific Research Collective at our institution carried out a retrospective observational study on patients who underwent ECT. The evaluation and treatment protocol involved patients from all over the country. Results: The study involved 30 patients aged between 22 and 67 years and a mean age of 39.4 years; among them, 57% were male. The majority of the patients (68%) lived in urban areas, and 80% came from a different county. Schizophrenia was the most prevalent diagnosis (56.6%), followed by depression (40%) and bipolar disorder (3.4%). Common comorbidities included obesity/overweight, high blood pressure, and sinus tachycardia. A total of 330 ECT sessions were conducted, with an average of 11 sessions per patient, and 10 patients underwent multiple treatment courses. The reported adverse events included arterial hypertension, agitation, tachycardia, and shivering. Conclusions: This study underlines the safety and effectiveness of ECT when patients are closely monitored. Our results are consistent with the global data, suggesting that ECT is a good treatment option for severe psychiatric conditions with a manageable incidence of adverse events.