Clinical Characteristics of 276 Patients Treated with Electroconvulsive Therapy at a University Clinic in Medellín, Colombia

To describe the socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of patients undergoing Electroconvulsive Therapy with Anesthesia and Relaxation (ECTAR) for 10 years in a university clinic. Review of 276 medical records of patients who had undergone ECTAR between 1997 and 2007 at the Clínica Universitaria Bolivariana de Medellín, Colombia. Data was collected through an instrument designed for that purpose and then was analyzed. During 10 years, more than 2000 ECT procedures were performed; most of the patients were female 67.4%, between 15 and 86 years old. The first indication was a major depressive episode without psychotic symptoms (56.5%) almost half of the patients had a minor and temporary complication, and no major complications or deaths were reported. Pre-oxygenation, intravenous anesthesia and muscular relaxation were used in all procedures. The ECT used in a third-level hospital with participation of a trained, interdisciplinary team (psychiatrist, anesthesiologist, nursing assistants) and the use of the modified technique (oxygenation, monitoring, general anesthesia, and relaxation is safe for certain psychiatric pathologies disorders that have not responded to medication or when medication is counter-indicated.