USE OF ESMOLOL TO CONTROL BLEEDING AND HEART-RATE DURING ELECTROCONVULSIVE-THERAPY IN A PATIENT WITH AN INTRACRANIAL ANEURYSM

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a commonly used treatment modality for patients with major affective disorders that are unresponsive to p harmacological therapy. While ECT has been shown to be a very safe tre atment, it is associated with transient hemodynamic alterations, inclu ding hypertension, which are associated with increased risk of rupture of an intracranial aneurysm. We describe our use of the ultrashort ac ting beta-blocker esmolol, for blood-pressure control in a woman with known cerebral aneurysmal disease who required ECT for treatment of re current major depression. (C) 1997 by Elsevier Science Inc.