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Length of hospital stay and the timing of ECT
Author(s) -
Ball C. J.,
Fashola Y.,
Herzberg J. L.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
international journal of geriatric psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.28
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1099-1166
pISSN - 0885-6230
DOI - 10.1002/gps.930100909
Subject(s) - medicine , electroconvulsive therapy , hospital admission , illness severity , pediatrics , emergency medicine , psychiatry , severity of illness , cognition
The lengths of stay of patients receiving ECT and medication or medication alone on an acute elderly admission ward were retrospectively compared. The lengths of stay for those who received ECT were significantly longer than for those not receiving ECT. If the ECT was given within 4 weeks of admission, the length of stay was similar to those receiving medication alone. In addition to symptom complexes, the decision to use ECT should take into account the length of the illness. Early ECT may reduce lengths of stay and decrease the likelihood of chronicity.