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Electroconvulsive Therapy, or ECT, is a long established, safe, and effective
treatment. This brochure will give you some information about ECT, and hopefully
answer your questions. If you still have questions after reading this, please
ask your psychiatrist or nursing staff.
When Is ECT Indicated?
How Does ECT Work?
What Needs To Be Completed Before I Start ECT?
Do I Need To Be Hospitalized To Have ECT?
When Is ECT Given?
Can I Take My Medications Before An ECT Treatment?
What Happens When I Get To The ECT Clinic?
What Are The Risks Of ECT?
What Are The Side Effects Of ECT?
Summary
WHEN IS ECT INDICATED?
ECT is used as a treatment for depression, mania, and some types of schizophrenia.
ECT involves the use of a brief seizure within the brain. This seizure activity
causes a biochemical change that may help to decrease your symptoms or even cause
them to stop. The results of ECT can be seen more quickly than the results of
medications.
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HOW DOES ECT WORK?
ECT works to improve the patient's mood. It stabilizes one's sleep pattern, appetite,
and increases energy. It usually takes 4–6 treatments to begin to experience
a benefit. A full course of ECT is usually 10–12 treatments. Frequently,
others will notice an improvement before you do. Even though ECT may decrease
or end a depression, it will not prevent another episode from occurring weeks,
months, or years later. Because of this, you and your doctor will need to discuss
what you will do after treatments are completed. Many people use medications
to prevent this relapse, some people use maintenance ECT.
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WHAT NEEDS TO BE COMPLETED BEFORE I START ECT?
To begin ECT, your psychiatrist will determine if ECT will be of benefit for
you. You will need to be seen by an internist. He/she will review your medical
history, EKG, and blood work results. You will sign a consent form.
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DO I NEED TO BE HOSPITALIZED TO HAVE ECT?
Treatments are given to both inpatients and outpatients. If you commute, you
must have someone drive you home. Because of the anesthesia, you may not drive
after an ECT treatment or the rest of that day. After an ECT treatment, you must
have someone stay with you the rest of the day.
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WHEN IS ECT GIVEN?
ECT treatments are given three times a week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
mornings. They are administered by a team of physicians and nurses who have had
specialized training and experience in this type of treatment.
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CAN I TAKE MY MEDICATIONS BEFORE AN ECT TREATMENT?
You must not eat or drink anything after midnight the night before your treatment.
If you take medications such as Ativan or Xanax, do not take any after 5 p.m.
the night before your treatment. These medications will interfere with your treatment.
On the morning of your treatment you may brush your teeth, but do not swallow
the water. Do not chew gum or suck on hard candies or cough drops.
If you are taking heart or blood pressure medications, you should take those
medications the morning of your treatments with sips of water—only enough
water to swallow them. Talk with your psychiatrist and/or nursing staff about
the medications you are taking.
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WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I GET TO THE ECT CLINIC?
When you arrive in the ECT suite, the staff will greet you. They will take your
blood pressure. They will direct you to the restroom and give you a hospital
gown. Once you change, the staff will direct you to the Prep Room where they
will help you onto a stretcher. They will raise the head of the stretcher to
make you feel more comfortable.
In the treatment room, there will be a psychiatrist, anesthesiologist, and
a registered nurse to care for you. The psychiatrist will place a band around
your forehead. You will always be asleep when you receive your treatment.
The anesthesiologist will start an intravenous (IV) line in your arm. The
medications will be given through this line. It will be removed in the Recovery
Room. The registered nurse will take your blood pressure and place a clip on
your finger to monitor the oxygen saturation.
The anesthesiologist will give you a medication that will make you sleep and
a muscle relaxant through your IV. You will be asleep about 10 minutes.
While you are asleep, a brief electrical stimulus is given to induce a seizure.
Because you are asleep, you will not feel any pain. The seizure is what causes
the chemical change in your brain, not the electricity. Typically, the length
of the seizure is only about 30 60 seconds. There will be very little body
movement due to the muscle relaxant used. When you wake up, you will be transferred
to the Recovery Room.
In the Recovery Room, your blood pressure and oxygen saturation will be monitored.
Usually your stay will last 20 30 minutes.
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WHAT ARE THE RISKS OF ECT?
With any medical treatment there are risks involved. The risks of ECT are related
to the use of the general anesthesia and to the treatment. The most common side
effects are nausea, headaches, muscle aches, short term/long-term memory loss
(usually memories right around the time of the ECT treatments), and possibly
a serious complication of anesthesia. Severe complications from anesthesia are
extremely rare.
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WHAT ARE THE SIDE EFFECTS OF ECT?
Many people do not experience any side effects from ECT. If you do experience
headaches, muscle aches, or nausea, please let the staff know. You may take
some medications to help decrease these side effects. Other potential side
effects consist of confusion and memory loss. Usually, as people awaken and
become more alert, they become less confused. Psychological tests show that
memory loss can occur for events that happen a few weeks surrounding the treatments.
While psychological tests do not confirm permanent memory loss, some patients
report lasting trouble remembering some things occurring a few months prior
to and/or after their treatments.
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SUMMARY
There have been many advances in the treatment of mental disorders in the
past few years, and ECT remains the most effective and safe treatment for some
patients, particularly when alternative treatments like medications, are either
unsafe or ineffective.
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ECT PURPOSE STATEMENT
The ECT Clinic provides excellence in care with Christian compassion. We treat patients and their families as partners in the healing process.
For more information about Electroconvulsive Therapy, please call us at (616)
281-6341.
ECT Home Page
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ECT Clinic
300 68th Street SE
Pine Rest Main Campus
Grand Rapids, MI 49548
616-281-6341
Fax: 616-831-2621
Monday thru Friday
7:30am to 3:30pm.
Treatments are on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings.
To schedule an appointment, to make a referral, discuss services, or
for more information, please call 616-281-6341.
For after-hours emergencies, please call the Pine Rest Contact Center
at
616-455-9200 or
800-678-5500. |
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