title: Anticholinergics and ECT.
abstract: Anticholinergic medication is commonly used prior to anesthetizing patients for electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Its routine use is the subject of ongoing controversy. This article reviews how anticholinergics came to be used with ECT and the work supporting or refuting their routine use. The route of administration and their use with beta blockers are reviewed. Atropine, glycopyrrolate, and scopolamine are compared. While acknowledging the pau-city of carefully controlled trials with large numbers of patients, the routine use of intravenous atropine prior to administering ECT is recommended unless specifically contraindicated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences, University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA.
authors.forename: Barry Alan
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Kramer