Combination of electroconvulsive therapy with skin graft surgery for a schizophrenic patient with burns.
We report on the use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) on a patient with schizophrenia immediately after skin graft surgery for extensive burns. The patient was 22 years old and had been burned in more than 33% of his body because of a suicide attempt. After his admission to a burn unit, he continued to make repeated suicide attempts. Electroconvulsive therapy with a muscle relaxant and intubation was administered after scheduled skin graft surgery. His hallucinations diminished after a series of ECT treatments, and his behavior improved. This combination avoids an anesthetic procedure and makes it possible for physicians to administer ECT earlier for burned psychopharmacological treatment-resistant psychiatric patients. The combination treats a patient's physical and mental illnesses simultaneously.
Iwata
Ken
K
Department of Neuropsychiatry, Tokyo Metropolitan Hiroo General Hospital, Tokyo, Japan. keniwata@hiroo-hospital.metro.tokyo.jp
Masuda
Michiko
M
Soejima
Kazutaka
K
Ohashi
Miyuki
M
D000758:Anesthesia; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002056:Burns / Q000150:complications*; D004351:Drug Resistance; D004565:Electroconvulsive Therapy; D006212:Hallucinations / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D006220:Haloperidol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000628:therapy*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D016038:Skin Transplantation; D013406:Suicide, Attempted; D055815:Young Adult
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D006220:Haloperidol