title: Use of electroconvulsive therapy in an elderly after 5 weeks of myocardial infraction with 30% cardiac output.
abstract: There is limited literature on the use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in patients with recent myocardial infarction and in those with reduced cardiac output. In this report, we describe the safe use of ECT in a 70-year-male suffering from severe depressive episode with psychotic symptoms. He had a history of poor response to adequate pharmacotherapy and had suffered from myocardial infraction (MI), about 3 weeks prior to admission to the psychiatric unit. In view of severe depression associated with marked anxiety, agitation, psychotic symptoms, and poor food intake he was started on ECT after 5 weeks of MI when his cardiac output was only 30%. He received nine sessions of ECT without any cardiac complications and his depression remitted with ECT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: Sandeep
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grover
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suchendra
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: Aseem
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mehra
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: Vijay
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Parkash
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: Vikas
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Saini
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: Shiv
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bagga
keywords: Elderly; electroconvulsive therapy; low cardiac output; myocardial infraction