PB E-mail content delivery - eTOCs !
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
British Journal of Psychiatry Advances in Psychiatric Treatment All RCPsych Journals
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

Psychiatric Bulletin (2002) 26: 275. doi: 10.1192/pb.26.7.275-a
© 2002 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
This Article
Right arrow Submit an eLetter
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Deshpande, M.
Right arrow Articles by Freer, T.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Deshpande, M.
Right arrow Articles by Freer, T.
Psychiatric Bulletin (2002) 26: 275
© 2002 The Royal College of Psychiatrists

correspondence

Missed-fit ECT audit

Mayura Deshpande, Senior House Officer and Tegwedd Freer, Consultant Psychiatrist

Wonford House Hospital, Dryden Road, Exeter EX2 5AF

Sir: We read with interest the article by Davies and Wilson (Psychiatric Bulletin, June 2001, 25, 215-216) on the rate of missed-fits during electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). We have recently completed a retrospective survey of the missed-fit rate in our hospital's ECT department. Of the 70 patients who received ECT between January and December 2001, case notes were obtained for 68. Eighty per cent of the patients were on antidepressants, 47% on antipsychotics, 19% on benzodiazepines and 3% on antiepileptic drugs, and no medication was recorded for one patient.

The total number of ECT treatments given was 481. Of these, only five resulted in missed-fits. These patients were not on benzodiazepines or antiepileptic drugs. The stimulus dose applied in all five cases was appropriate to the patients' age and gender. All of them went on to fit successfully later in the course. In addition, different junior doctors were involved in the administration of ECT on the above occasions.

The rate of missed-fits in our survey was very low, 1.04%, which is comparable with the rate reported by the authors (1.8%) in their third audit-year. Our ECT department is consultant-led, with theoretical teaching and clinical supervision, as well as random checks to ensure that correct procedures are followed. A stimulus-dosing protocol is strictly adhered to.

As a result of this survey, restimulation guidelines are being drafted and will be included in ECT dosing policy. It is also proposed that this survey will become an annual event in our department.





This Article
Right arrow Submit an eLetter
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Deshpande, M.
Right arrow Articles by Freer, T.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Deshpande, M.
Right arrow Articles by Freer, T.

HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
British Journal of Psychiatry Advances in Psychiatric Treatment All RCPsych Journals