Electroconvulsive therapy as a treatment for protracted refractory delirium in the intensive care unit—Five cases and a review
| Autor: | A.Oe. Lauritsen, Rikke M. Nielsen, Karsten Skovgaard Olsen, H.C. Boesen |
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| Rok vydání: | 2014 |
| Předmět: |
Adult
Male medicine.medical_specialty Sedation medicine.medical_treatment Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine behavioral disciplines and activities Head trauma law.invention Electroconvulsive therapy Refractory law mental disorders medicine Humans Hypnotics and Sedatives Cognitive decline Electroconvulsive Therapy Intensive care medicine Psychomotor Agitation Aged business.industry Delirium Middle Aged Intensive care unit nervous system diseases Intensive Care Units Anesthesia Anxiety Female Deep Sedation medicine.symptom business |
| Zdroj: | Journal of Critical Care. 29:881.e1-881.e6 |
| ISSN: | 0883-9441 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.jcrc.2014.05.012 |
| Popis: | Purpose Delirium in the intensive care unit (ICU) is conventionally treated pharmacologically but can progress into a protracted state refractory to medical treatment—a potentially life-threatening condition in itself. Methods We treated 5 cases of severe protracted delirium in our ICU with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) after failure of conventional medical therapy. Results The delirious state of long standing agitation, anxiety, and discomfort was controlled in all patients. Electroconvulsive therapy was effective in controlling delirium in 4 patients. The last patient became calm, relieved of stress, and able to cooperate with the ventilator but remained in a state of posttraumatic amnesia after a head trauma. Conclusion Although controversial, ECT is nevertheless recognized as an efficient and safe treatment for various psychiatric illnesses including delirium. Considering the significantly increased mortality and severe cognitive decline associated with delirium in the ICU, we find ECT to be a valuable treatment option for this vulnerable patient population. It can be considered when agitation cannot be controlled with medical treatment, when agitation and delirium make weaning impossible, or prolonged deep sedation the only alternative. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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