Combined electroconvulsive-clozapine therapy.
We reviewed 36 reported psychiatric patients who were treated with a combination of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and clozapine. The indication of the ECT-clozapine treatment was resistance to classical antipsychotic agents, clozapine, or ECT alone. Sixty-seven percent of the patients benefited from the combined treatment. In most of the patients, the combined treatment was safe and well tolerated. Adverse reactions occurred in 16.6% of the patients and included prolonged ECT-induced seizures (one case), supraventricular (one case) and sinus tachycardia, and blood pressure elevation. It seems that combined ECT-clozapine treatment is effective and safe. This strategy may be a therapeutic option in treatment-resistant patients.
Kupchik
M
M
Ness Ziona Mental Health Center, Israel.
Spivak
B
B
Mester
R
R
Reznik
I
I
Gonen
N
N
Weizman
A
A
Kotler
M
M
D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy; D003024:Clozapine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy; D004565:Electroconvulsive Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D003024:Clozapine