Effects of electroconvulsive therapy on cardiac function in patients without heart disease

• Published in: Cardiology Vol. 88; no. 3; p. 254
• Main Authors: Fuenmayor, A J, el Fakih, Y, Moreno, J, Fuenmayor, A M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland 01-05-1997
• Subjects: Adult; Blood Pressure; Diastole; Echocardiography, Doppler; Electrocardiography; Electroconvulsive Therapy; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Heart Diseases; Heart Rate; Heart Ventricles - diagnostic imaging; Humans; Male; Mental Disorders - physiopathology; Mental Disorders - therapy; Systole; Ventricular Function, Left - physiology
• ISSN: 0008-6312
• DOI: 10.1159/000177339

In order to determine whether electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) alters left-ventricular function in patients without heart disease, we studied 11 patients who had a normal cardiovascular system and were submitted to ECT. Left-ventricular function was assessed by means of a clinical examination and an echocardiographic evaluation performed before the ECT and 20 min and 6 h after ECT. Twenty minutes after ECT, the patients' end-systolic volume was increased (p = 0.003), whereas the ejection fraction (p = 0.004) and E to A ratio were decreased (p = 0.004 and 0.028, respectively). These indexes returned to the normal control value 6 h later. None of our patients presented any clinical signs of heart failure. We conclude that in some patients, ECT produces a significant and transient decrease in left-ventricular systolic and diastolic function.