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Electroconvulsive Therapy in Patients with Cardiac Pacemakers and Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators
Author(s) -
DOLENC TAMARA J.,
BARNES ROXANN D.,
HAYES DAVID L.,
RASMUSSEN KEITH G.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
pacing and clinical electrophysiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.686
H-Index - 101
eISSN - 1540-8159
pISSN - 0147-8389
DOI - 10.1111/j.1540-8159.2004.00617.x
Subject(s) - medicine , electroconvulsive therapy , implantable cardioverter defibrillator , supraventricular tachycardia , coronary care unit , ventricular tachycardia , cardiac pacemaker , cardiac pacing , tachycardia , cardiology , intensive care medicine , myocardial infarction , electroconvulsive shock
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is used to treat major depressive illness, especially in elderly and medically frail patients. Not uncommonly, these patients have cardiac pacemakers or implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs). Only a few case reports in the literature describe the use of ECT in such patients. Herein we review our ECT experience treating 26 pacemaker patients and 3 ICD patients. All patients obtained significant antidepressant benefits with ETC. Only one serious cardiac event occurred, a case of supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) requiring a stay on the cardiac intensive care unit. The SVT resolved and the patient went on to receive further uncomplicated ECT treatments. We conclude from this experience that with proper pre‐ECT cardiac and pacemaker/defibrillator assessment, ECT can be safely and effectively administered to patients with an implanted cardiac device.