How is electroconvulsive therapy used to treat depression?
Electroconvulsive therapy, vagus nerve stimulation and transcranial magnetic stimulation are sometimes used to treat severe or chronic depression, especially when life threatening symptoms are present. ECT is FDA approved for treatment resistant depression and is considered a first line treatment for profound, life threatening depressive symptoms.
What is electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)?
Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) A type of somatic treatment in which electric current is applied to the brain through electrodes placed on the temples. A grand mal seizure produces the desired effect. History of ECT - The first ECT treatment was performed in April 1938 by italian psychiatrics Ugo Cerletti and Lucio Bini in Rome.
What is the nurse's rationale for administering pure oxygen during electroconvulsive therapy?
A nurse administers pure oxygen to a client during and after electroconvulsive therapy treatment. What is the nurse's rationale for this procedure? A. To prevent increased intracranial pressure resulting from anoxia
What are the treatment options for depression after ECT?
Even after your symptoms improve, you'll still need ongoing depression treatment to prevent a recurrence. Ongoing treatment may be ECT with less frequency, but more often, it includes antidepressants or other medications, or psychological counseling (psychotherapy).
What is electro convulsive therapy used for?
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a medical treatment most commonly used in patients with severe major depression or bipolar disorder that has not responded to other treatments.
What is electroconvulsive therapy and why does it work as a treatment for depression?
Overview. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a procedure, done under general anesthesia, in which small electric currents are passed through the brain, intentionally triggering a brief seizure. ECT seems to cause changes in brain chemistry that can quickly reverse symptoms of certain mental health conditions.
What disorder is most effectively treated with electroconvulsive therapy?
Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) is the most effective treatment for depression. It is also used to treat other forms of mental illness. ECT is especially helpful for severe or treatment-resistant illness.
Should electro convulsive therapy ECT be used in the treatment of mental disorders?
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a procedure that uses a mild electrical current to cause a brief seizure. This treatment effectively treats severe mental health conditions, including depression, schizophrenia, and more.
What is the mechanism of action of electroconvulsive therapy?
The main mechanism of action in electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is the induction of a generalized clonic seizure. This seizure is triggered by the delivery of an electric current to the patient's brain using electrodes placed on the patient's head.
Is electroconvulsive therapy still used?
But electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is still being used -- more in Europe than the United States -- and it may be the most effective short-term treatment for some patients with depressive symptoms, a newly published review in the journal The Lancet suggests.
When is electroconvulsive therapy indicated?
ECT is indicated in patients with treatment-resistant depression or severe major depression that impairs activities of daily living. The definition of treatment-resistant depression is depression that is unresponsive to multiple antidepressant medication trials.
Which condition would be a contraindication to electroconvulsive therapy ECT )?
While there are no absolute contraindications to ECT, several relative contraindications exist. These include recent MI or stroke (generally within the last 30 days), increased intracranial pressure, active bleeding (especially from the central nervous system), retinal detachment, and unstable dentition.
For which disorder was electroconvulsive therapy ECT originally developed as a treatment?
Electroconvulsive therapy was born. In 1938, Cerletti and his psychiatrist colleague Lucio Bini developed the first ECT device and treated their first human patient, a diagnosed schizophrenic with delusions, hallucinations, and confusion.
How do you treat mental illness without medication?
Things like therapy, brain stimulation, supplements, and self-care are scientifically-backed as effective ways to reduce the symptoms of certain mental illnesses.
What is electroconvulsive therapy?
Electroconvulsive therapy is the induction of a grand mal seizure through the application of electrical current to the brain for the purpose of decreasing depression. A chronically depressed and suicidal client is admitted to a psychiatric unit. The client is scheduled for electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).
How long does it take for an electroconvulsive patient to sleep?
After the treatment, most clients will awaken within 10 to 15 minutes and will be confused and disoriented. Some clients will sleep for 1 to 2 hours.
What is ECT treatment?
D. Encourage high-caloric diet throughout the ECT course of treatment. ANS: A. ECT is an intervention for major depression that often includes suicidal ideations as a symptom. Continued suicide assessment is needed because mood improvement due to ECT may cause the client to act on suicidal ideations.
What is a client experiencing manic episodes of bipolar disorder?
ANS: A. A client who is experiencing suicidal ideations is in need of an immediate intervention to prevent self-harm and must be prioritized when the nurse schedules ECT. A client with cognitive deficits is extremely suicidal.
How often should a nurse monitor pulse and blood pressure after electroconvulsive therapy?
ANS: A. Immediately after electroconvulsive therapy a nurse should monitor pulse, respirations, and blood pressure every 15 minutes for the first hour, during which time the client should remain in bed.
Can vagal stimulation cause bradycardia?
Vagal stimulation induced by ECT may cause a client to experience bradycardia. Adequate tissue perfusion would be a realistic expectation when normal cardiac output is restored. A nursing student is observing an electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) treatment. The student notices a blood pressure cuff on the client's lower leg.
Why is electroconvulsive therapy used?
Why it's done. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) can provide rapid, significant improvements in severe symptoms of several mental health conditions. ECT is used to treat: Severe depression, particularly when accompanied by detachment from reality (psychosis), a desire to commit suicide or refusal to eat. Treatment-resistant depression, ...
What is the test called when you have a seizure?
Internally, activity in your brain increases dramatically. A test called an electroencephalogram (EEG) records the electrical activity in your brain. Sudden, increased activity on the EEG signals the beginning of a seizure, followed by a leveling off that shows the seizure is over.
What is ECT in medical terms?
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a procedure, done under general anesthesia, in which small electric currents are passed through the brain, intentionally triggering a brief seizure. ECT seems to cause changes in brain chemistry that can quickly reverse symptoms of certain mental health conditions.
How often do you get ECT?
In the United States, ECT treatments are generally given two to three times weekly for three to four weeks — for a total of six to 12 treatments. Some doctors use a newer technique called right unilateral ultrabrief pulse electroconvulsive therapy that's done daily on weekdays.
What is ECT used for?
ECT is used to treat: Severe depression, particularly when accompanied by detachment from reality (psychosis), a desire to commit suicide or refusal to eat. Treatment-resistant depression, a severe depression that doesn't improve with medications or other treatments. Severe mania, a state of intense euphoria, agitation or hyperactivity ...
How long after ECT can you drive?
However, some people may be advised not to return to work, make important decisions, or drive until one to two weeks after the last ECT in a series, or for at least 24 hours after a single treatment during maintenance therapy.
What is the term for a lack of movement, fast or strange movements, lack of speech, and other symptoms?
Catatonia, characterized by lack of movement, fast or strange movements, lack of speech, and other symptoms. It's associated with schizophrenia and certain other psychiatric disorders. In some cases, catatonia is caused by a medical illness.