Medical problems of geriatric psychiatric patients and younger controls during electroconvulsive therapy. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • Medical problems occurring during electroconvulsive therapy were studied in a population of 293 psychiatric inpatients who received 2,809 treatments. Geriatric patients (N = 199) developed significantly more medical problems that required medical treatment or temporary discontinuation of electroconvulsive therapy than did younger controls (N = 94). The most important of these were cardiovascular in nature. Despite their increased frequency, the majority of medical problems that occurred were reversible. Electroconvulsive therapy therefore appeared to be a safe procedure for elderly psychiatric patients.

publication date

  • September 1, 1984

Research

keywords

  • Electroconvulsive Therapy
  • Mental Disorders

Identity

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 0021137036

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1984.tb02253.x

PubMed ID

  • 6470382

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 32

issue

  • 9