title: [Benefits and risks of electroconvulsive therapy (ECG) in elderly patients with cardiovascular risk factors].
abstract: Between January 1995 and June 1996, 24 inpatients at our hospital (mean age 55.6 years) were treated with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Clinical improvement was observed in 80% of the patients, including those without risk factors (NRG, n = 16), as well as those with concomitant cardiovascular diseases (RG, n = 8). During a mean period of observation of 224 days after the end of ECT 7 patients (35%) relapsed. The rate of relapse was higher in RG than in NRG patients (57.1 vs 23.1%). In all cases ECT was well tolerated; 285 applications of ECT did not result in mortality or persistent morbidity. However, RG patients may be at increased risk for the development of minor cardiovascular complications, which were noted in three RG patients (37.5%), but only in one patient (6.2%) in the NRG (Fisher's test, P = 0.09). Taken together, our results demonstrate that ECT is a safe treatment regimen for depression even in medically ill patients of old age.
authors.affiliation: Evangelisches Krankenhaus Gelsenkirchen, Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Ruhr-Universität Bochum.
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Agelink
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dammers
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Malessa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leonhardt
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zitzelsberger
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ullrich
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zeit
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D002319:Cardiovascular System / Q000503:physiopathology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D004562:Electrocardiography; D004565:Electroconvulsive Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
vernacular_title: Nutzen und Risiken der Elektrokrampfbehandlung (EKT) bei älteren Patienten mit kardiovaskulären Risikofaktoren.