The effects of electroconvulsive therapy on serial electrocardiograms and serum cardiac enzyme values. A prospective study of depressed hospitalized inpatients
G. W. Dec Jr, T. A. Stern and C. Welch
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an effective, safe, and controversial
treatment of severe depression. In order to further evaluate its safety,
the effect of ECT on serial electrocardiograms and serum cardiac enzyme
values was studied prospectively in 29 patients. Neither persistent
electrocardiographic changes nor elevations in creatine phosphokinase or
serum glutamic oxalaminase transaminase levels were observed following 85
treatments. Twenty-four percent of our patients had stable, preexisting
cardiovascular disease, which included conduction system disease, recent
myocardial infarction, and depressed ventricular function.
Electroconvulsive therapy was well tolerated by all of these patients. The
proposed mechanisms for transient or persistent electrocardiographic
changes and cardiovascular complications of ECT are reviewed.
