title: The safety of electroconvulsive therapy in patients with prolonged QTc intervals on the electrocardiogram.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Prolonged QTc intervals have been associated with increased cardiac morbidity and mortality. We investigated whether pretreatment prolongation of the QTc interval was associated with increased cardiac-related events (CREs) in electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) treatment of psychiatric disorders.
  
  
  METHODS
  The charts of 1437 ECT patients were reviewed for the presence of baseline QTc prolongation. Broadly defined CREs during the course of treatment were abstracted from patient charts.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Presence of baseline QTc prolongation was not independent of increased risk of CREs during ECT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Careful consideration should be given to patients who have QTc prolongation on an electrocardiogram and are undergoing ECT treatment, but this should not definitively exclude patients from receiving ECT treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
authors.forename: Samuel J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Pullen
authors.forename: Keith G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Rasmussen
authors.forename: Elizabeth R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Angstman
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rivera
authors.forename: Paul S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Mueller
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000768:Anesthesia, General; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000453:epidemiology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000401:mortality; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000628:therapy; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004565:Electroconvulsive Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008133:Long QT Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D009467:Neuromuscular Depolarizing Agents; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013390:Succinylcholine; D018879:Ventricular Premature Complexes / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D009467:Neuromuscular Depolarizing Agents; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs; D013390:Succinylcholine