A teaching guide for electroconvulsive therapy

Concern has been raised regarding the erratic and sometimes less than adequ ate teaching of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) to health professionals. Th e development of standardized curricula will ultimately improve the quality of care for patients receiving ECT and help to minimize the myths and misi nformation clinicians have regarding ECT. An outline for teaching ECT is pr esented that covers the following areas: preconceptions, history patient se lection, conditions of increased risk, medical and neurological side effect s, memory issues, technical aspects, electrode placement, clinical problems , management of the post-ECT course, legal and ethical issues, mechanisms o f action, and educational issues. This outline can be expanded to encompass up to a B-hour course for psychiatric residents, or compressed to provide the basics to nursing, medical, or pharmacy students. Copyright (C) 1999 by W.B. Saunders Company.