Propofol reduces cognitive impairment after electroconvulsive therapy

BACKGROUND: Cognitive impairments are the main complication after electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Modification of treatment parameters has been shown to affect the magnitude of these impairments, but the role of anesthetic type remains unclear. This study tested whether there is a difference in cognitive impairments immediately after ECT with propofol compared to thiopental anesthesia. METHODS: This randomized, double-blind, crossover study included 15 patients receiving right unilateral ECT for depression. Patients received propofol or thiopental on alternating ECTs up to 6 treatments. Immediate and delayed verbal memory, motor speed, reaction speed, visuospatial, and executive functions were assessed 45 minutes after each ECT. Differences were assessed with repeated measures analysis of variance. RESULTS: Cognitive impairments were reduced after ECT with propofol compared to thiopental. Time to emergence was quicker and EEG seizure duration was shorter after propofol treatments. There was no significant correlation between seizure duration and neuropsychological test performance. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that cognitive impairments in the early recovery period after ECT are reduced with propofol compared to thiopental anesthesia. We suggest that, in addition to ECT parameters, the type of anesthetic agent should be considered to reduce cognitive impairments after ECT.     

Anesthesia outcomes in a randomized double-blind trial of sevoflurane and thiopental for induction of general anesthesia in electroconvulsive therapy

The purpose of the study was to compare hemodynamics and postanesthetic tolerability of sevoflurane versus thiopental in electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). The design was a randomized double-blind trial in the ECT suite of a tertiary referral medical center. Thirty-one patients were randomized to either sevoflurane or thiopental induction of anesthesia for up to 6 of each subject's ECT treatments. Measurements included hemodynamics (heart rate and blood pressure), arrhythmias, posttreatment orientation, time to first breath, and posttreatment side effects. Sevoflurane compared favorably with thiopental in terms of hemodynamics and time to first breath, although there was a slightly nonsignificant trend toward faster recovery with sevoflurane. Sevoflurane was associated with significantly better postictal orientation 20 minutes after the treatment. We conclude that inhalational anesthesia with sevoflurane presents a well-tolerated alternative for ECT anesthesia.     

Sevoflurane as an alternative anaesthetic for electroconvulsive therapy

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of sevoflurane and propofol used in electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) on hemodynamic variables and duration of seizure activity and recovery profiles. METHODS: Sixteen patients who were not premedicated, with a mean age 27.1 years, were enrolled in this prospective open trial, receiving a total of 64 ECT treatments. Each patient was given the following 2 anesthetic regimens in random order: In group S, anesthesia was induced with 7% sevoflurane in 100% oxygen at 6 L min fresh gas flow until the loss of consciousness and 1.5 mg kg propofol in group P. Adequate muscle relaxation was achieved with suxamethonium, 1.0 - 1.2 mg kg. Noninvasive mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) values, duration of motor seizure activity, and recovery times were recorded. RESULTS: The mean motor seizure duration was significantly longer with sevoflurane (mean [SD]: 43.09 [16.6] s) than with propofol (28.91 [7.9] s; P < 0.05). The MAP 1 minute and 10 minutes after ECT (101.25 [7.5] mm Hg and 100.16 [11.0] mm Hg, respectively) was significantly increased compared with before ECT (94.56 [6.9] mm Hg) in sevoflurane group (P < 0.05). Time to spontaneous breathing, eye opening and obeying commands, and changes in MAP and HR during and after ECT were similar in both regimens. CONCLUSION: Induction with 7% sevoflurane allows prolonged duration of motor seizures in ECT. We concluded that induction of anesthesia with sevoflurane inhalation is a reasonable alternative for patients undergoing ECT.     

Propofol and methohexital as anesthetic agents for electroconvulsive therapy: a randomized, double-blind comparison of electroconvulsive therapy seizure quality, therapeutic efficacy, and cognitive performance

BACKGROUND: Propofol is often used as an anesthetic agent for electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Whether the relatively short seizure duration, resulting from the medication, deteriorates the seizure quality and therapeutic outcomes, or whether propofol might be associated with small but significant post-ECT cognitive impairments, is still a subject of controversy. The purpose of our study was to test these hypotheses in comparison with methohexital. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a double-blind, controlled study, 50 patients with severe major depression who were to be treated with ECT were randomly assigned to anesthesia with propofol (120.9 +/- 50.0 mg) or methohexital (83 +/- 26.3 mg) and were observed for 2 months. The 2 drugs were compared on the basis of electroencephalography-registered seizure duration, mean blood pressure, as well as pulse frequency, seizure efficacy index, and postictal suppression. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and seizure duration and quality were recorded consecutively during ECT treatments. Changes in depressive symptoms and cognitive functions were measured at 5 time points, pre-ECT, after the third to fifth ECT, post-ECT treatment, and at a follow-up examination 2 and 8 weeks after the last ECT treatment. RESULTS: Patients on propofol showed a significantly lower increase in blood pressure post-ECT (P < 0.001), their seizure duration was comparable to patients on methohexital (P = 0.072), and seizure quality was significantly superior, as was measured by the Postictal Suppression Index (P = 0.020), and comparable to the methohexital group as measured by the Seizure Efficacy Index (P = 0.160). The improvement of depressive symptoms and the improvement in cognitive functions were similar in both groups (with the exception of the results from 2 cognition tests). CONCLUSIONS: Propofol, as compared with methohexital, results in a more moderate increase in blood pressure and shorter seizure duration. The seizure quality did not differ significantly between the 2 groups. We detected a tendency toward improved cognitive performance after anesthesia with propofol as compared with methohexital, but with statistical significance in only 2 cognition trials. Therefore, propofol is a safe and efficacious anesthetic for ECT treatment.     

Cardiovascular effects of anesthesia in ECT: a randomized, double-blind comparison of etomidate, propofol, and thiopental

Cardiovascular alterations during electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) are a major concern for this treatment. Although several studies have been performed to compare the effects of anesthetics on these alterations, the results are mixed and doubt still exists regarding the choice of the best drug. We conducted a randomized, double-blind clinical trial to compare the effects of 3 anesthetics used in ECT: etomidate, propofol, and thiopental. Patients (N=30) were randomized to receive one of these drugs as the anesthetic for the ECT procedure. Cardiovascular evaluation consisted of the measurement of blood systolic and diastolic pressure and heart rate before and immediately after the end of the seizure for each patient during a course of ECT. The results showed that etomidate, propofol, and thiopental were associated with similar cardiovascular effects.     

麻醉诱导方式对颅内肿瘤手术病人脑血流动力学及颅内压的影响

目的 探讨异丙酚和咪唑安定诱导麻醉对颅内肿瘤手术病人脑血流动力学及颅内压（ICP）的影响。方法 2016年1月至2019年1月开颅手术治疗颅内肿瘤100例，其中50例（对照组）诱导麻醉采用静脉注射咪唑安定（0.2 mg/kg）+舒芬太尼（0.3 μg/kg）+顺苯磺酸阿曲库铵（0.2 mg/kg），50例（观察组）诱导麻醉采用静脉注射异丙酚（2 mg/kg）+舒芬太尼（0.3 μg/kg）+顺苯磺酸阿曲库铵（0.2 mg/kg）。①麻醉诱导前、诱导后即刻、插管前、插管后2 min、插管后6 min及插管后10 min监测心率（HR）、收缩压（SBP）、舒张压（DBP）及ICP。②插管后5 min、切开硬膜、切除肿瘤后30 min、手术结束时及拔管时监测颈内静脉血氧饱和度（SjvO2）及脑动静脉血氧分压差（Da-jvO2）。结果 ①插管后6 min、插管后10 min，两组HR均明显降低（P<0.05）；插管前两组SBP、DBP均明显降低（P<0.05）。插管后2 min，观察组SBP明显低于对照组（P<0.05）。两组ICP均无明显变化（P>0.05）。②观察组切开硬膜、切除肿瘤后30 min、手术结束时SjvO2水平较插管后5 min明显增高（P<0.05），而且观察组明显高于对照组。观察组切开硬膜、切除肿瘤后30 min、手术结束时Da-jvO2水平较插管后5 min明显降低（P<0.05），而且观察组明显低于对照组（P<0.05）。结论 异丙酚与咪唑安定均对颅内肿瘤手术病人ICP无明显影响；但是可改善脑血流动力学，而且咪唑安定对SjvO2和Da-jvO2水平的改善明显优于异丙酚     

Impact of the anesthetic agents ketamine,etomidate, thiopental,and propofol on seizure parameters and seizure quality in electroconvulsive therapy: a retrospective study

In electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), the use of anesthetics without relevant anticonvulsant properties such as ketamine and etomidate may be favorable for seizure quality. Since there is a relative paucity of studies devoted to this issue, our aim was to compare different anesthetics for ECT regarding their impact on seizure quality and different seizure parameters. We retrospectively compared ketamine (n = 912 anesthesias), etomidate (n = 227 anesthesias), thiopental (n = 2,751 anesthesias), and propofol (n = 42 anesthesias) on their influence on general seizure quality and different seizure parameters by multivariate repeated measurement regression analyses. The use of ketamine and etomidate as anesthetics led to seizures that were overall higher in quality and also longer in motor seizure activity when compared to anesthesia with thiopental and propofol. Ketamine was most favorable concerning central inhibitory potential that was indirectly quantified by concordance and postictal suppression. The worst seizure quality was observed with propofol anesthesia; further, this substance had a negative impact on autonomic activation and seizure duration. Based on the data of this retrospective study, the use of ketamine or etomidate as anesthetic in ECT might be advantageous due to the induction of high-quality seizures.     

Remifentanil supplementation of propofol during electroconvulsive therapy: effect on seizure duration and cardiovascular stability

OBJECTIVES: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is standard treatment of severe depression. The induction of a seizure is a core event in successful ECT. Although propofol is a frequently used anesthetic agent, one of its limitations is a reduction of seizure duration. No such effects have been reported regarding remifentanil, an ultrarapid-acting opioid that is used to induce and maintain anesthesia. The simultaneous administration of propofol and remifentanil may have similar safety and efficacy in terms of induction of anesthesia during ECT as propofol alone and significantly increase seizure duration. METHODS: Twenty-one ECT patients (10 men, 11 women, aged 24 to 81 years) were recruited. Muscle paralysis was achieved with succinylcholine (0.5-0.75 mg/kg intravenously [IV]). Unconsciousness was induced by either propofol (1 mg/kg IV) or propofol (0.5 mg/kg IV) + remifentanil (1 microg/kg) in a crossover format. ECT was administered according to established clinical protocols at the Sheba Medical Center, Israel. No changes in ECT current were permitted in the 2 protocols of each patient. Statistical analysis was based on paired t tests. RESULTS: In all but 2 cases, seizure duration was significantly longer in the remifentanil group than in the control group (motor seizure 53.7 +/- 28.3 seconds vs. 29.5 +/- 10.9 seconds, t = 4.017, P = 0.0007; Electroencephalographic (EEG) seizures 60.8 +/- 25.1 seconds vs. 40.1 +/- 17.0 seconds, t = 3.971, P = 0.001). No significant differences were found in mean recovery time, post-treatment elevation in blood pressure, heart-beat, or oxygen saturation. CONCLUSION: During anesthesia, the addition of remifentanil to propofol appears to be as effective as propofol alone with regard to anesthesia efficacy and cardiovascular function while significantly increasing seizure duration. Whether this discovery is of relevance to the clinical efficacy of ECT remains to be tested.     

End-tidal carbon dioxide monitoring stabilized hemodynamic changes during ECT

Accumulation of carbon dioxide (CO2) can disturb systemic and cerebral hemodynamics in patients receiving electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of end-tidal CO2 monitoring on hemodynamic changes in patients who received ECT under propofol anesthesia. ECT was prescribed to 40 patients under propofol anesthesia. Ventilation was assisted using a face mask and 100% oxygen, with or without end-tidal CO2 monitoring. Heart rate was significantly increased in patients without end-tidal CO2 monitoring at 1 to 5 minutes after electrical stimulation (p < 0.01). Mean arterial blood pressure and middle cerebral artery blood flow velocity in the group without end-tidal CO2 monitoring were significantly larger than the values in the group with the monitor at 1 to 5 minutes after electrical stimulation. Arterial CO2 tension in the group without end-tidal CO2 monitoring was larger than the value in the group with the monitoring at 1 minute (45+/-5 mm Hg with the monitor and 56+/-8 without the monitor) and 5 minutes (37+/-4 mm Hg with the monitor and 51+/-8 without the monitor) after electrical stimulation (p < 0.01). Application of end-tidal CO2 monitoring is considered beneficial for safe and effective anesthesia management of patients undergoing ECT, especially patients with an intracranial disorder or ischemic heart disease.     

老年髋关节置换应用等比重布比卡因复合腰丛阻滞

背景：以往老年患者行髋关节置换的麻醉主要为全麻,腰麻,硬膜外麻醉。单纯腰麻容易造成麻醉平面和麻醉时间的局限。 目的：对比观察等比重布比卡因腰麻复合腰丛阻滞和连续硬膜外阻滞联合小剂量布比卡因腰麻在老年髋关节手术中的应用效果。 方法：行髋关节置换术高龄患者46例,随机分为两组,分别给予患侧腰丛阻滞复合等比重布比卡因腰麻和连续硬膜外阻滞联合小剂量布比卡因腰麻,比较麻醉前、麻醉后5,10,15,20,30 min收缩压、舒张压、心率及血氧饱和度,观察两侧痛觉阻滞平面,温度觉及触觉平面,Bromage 运动阻滞评分,术中不良反应,患肢有效的镇痛时间及有效的阻滞时间。 结果与结论：采用等比重腰麻复合腰丛麻醉,麻醉前与麻醉后各时间点收缩压、舒张压、心率、血氧饱和度比较差异无显著性意义(P > 0105),患侧痛觉阻滞平面,温度觉及触觉阻滞平面,Bormage 运动阻滞评分与健侧比较差异有显著性意义(P < 0.01)。等比重布比卡因腰麻复合腰丛阻滞患肢的有效镇痛时间及有效阻滞时间均长于连续硬膜外阻滞联合小剂量布比卡因腰麻。提示等比重布比卡因腰麻复合腰丛阻滞用于高龄髋关节置换术起效快、不改变麻醉体位、循环稳定,减少了腰麻用药量,麻醉平面更易控制,更安全。     

Cognitive impairment following electroconvulsive therapy--does the choice of anesthetic agent make a difference?

The range of drugs available to provide anesthesia for patients undergoing electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is ever increasing. Initially, anesthetic agents were selected on the basis of their capacity not to antagonize the induced seizure. This was not always a simple task because almost all general anesthetic agents have "in built" antiepileptic activity. Nonbarbiturate agents such as propofol have been successfully used as alternatives to thiopental and methohexitone, but this drug too has antiepileptic properties. Most recently, opioid-like drugs such as remifentanil have been used, and there has been renewed interest in ketamine, a phencyclidine derivative. Attention has also focused on whether the anesthetic agent selected may affect the cognitive impairment seen after ECT. Studies in this area are limited, but early results suggest that agents such as ketamine may have particular benefit. This article reviews the current literature dealing with anesthesia and postoperative cognitive impairment in general and with regard to ECT in particular.     

Effects of propofol anesthesia on cognitive recovery of patients undergoing electroconvulsive therapy

The effects of different doses of propofol on post-electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) cognitive recovery were evaluated together with the effects on seizure duration and hemodynamic changes during ECT in 15 depressive patients. Propofol attenuated the increase in arterial blood pressure and heart rate in a dose-dependent manner compared with thiamylal. Propofol showed a clinically significant anticonvulsant effect during ECT in a dose-dependent manner. There were no significant differences among the four different induction groups in the mean recovery time from anesthesia, however, a low dose of propofol suppressed the early recovery of cognitive function. For early cognitive recovery after ECT, a deep anesthetic level is necessary when the traditional ECT apparatus is used which produces sine curve wave stimuli.     

Changes in hemodynamics during isoflurane and propofol anesthesia: a comparison study

OBJECTIVES: Volatile anesthetics are thought to impair cerebral autoregulation more than i.v. anesthetics. However, few comparative studies have been carried out in humans. The aim of our study was to evaluate the differences in cerebral hemodynamic changes after introduction of isoflurane (a volatile anesthetic) and propofol (an i.v. anesthetic). METHODS: Eighteen consecutive patients submitted to laparoscopic cholecystectomy were selected. After the induction, anesthesia was maintained by isoflurane (one minimum alveolar anesthetic concentration) during the first part of the surgical operation, and then by propofol (5 mg/kg/hour i.v.). Ventilation was adjusted to maintain a constant end-tidal CO(2). Middle artery flow velocity was assessed by means of transcranial Doppler ultrasonography. Arterial blood pressure, heart rate (HR), capnometry, pulse oxymetry, inspired fraction of O(2), and body temperature, were monitored. RESULTS: Cerebral artery velocity, HR, and mean arterial pressure all significantly increased from baseline after the introduction of isoflurane (p<0.05); the HR and mean arterial blood pressure showed no significant difference between the isoflurane and propofol phases. Isoflurane anesthesia induced a significant increase in cerebral blood velocity. Propofol introduction led to a significant decrease in cerebral artery velocity (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Propofol but not isoflurane decreased cerebral blood velocity thus restoring cerebral autoregulation and the coupling between cerebral blood flow and cerebral metabolism.     

The influence of anaesthetic medication on safety,tolerability and clinical effectiveness of electroconvulsive therapy

Background: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is still considered the most effective biological treatment strategy in psychiatric disorders. However, the clinical efficacy of ECT may be affected by stimulus variables and the concomitant use of psychopharmacological medication. Furthermore, most anaesthetics have anticonvulsant properties and therefore might additionally influence the efficacy of ECT. Method: In order to explore whether different anaesthetics might alter the effectiveness or safety of ECT we retrospectively analyzed 5482 ECT treatments in 455 patients. Anaesthetics were chosen according to clinical reasons and comprised thiopental, methohexital, propofol and etomidate. Results: Seizure duration was significantly affected by the anaesthetic medication with longest seizure activity during thiopental anaesthesia. In addition, postictal suppression, a further prospective parameter of ECT effectiveness, was significantly higher during propofol and thiopental anaesthesia. The clinical effectiveness was significantly better during propofol and thiopental anaesthesia. In contrast, the overall safety did not differ between the anaesthetic groups. Conclusion: Our study supports the hypothesis that inducting anaesthetic agents have a different impact on seizure duration, ictal and postictal electrophysiological indices and clinical efficacy of ECT. Compared to thiopental, which has been established as a standard anaesthetic during ECT, also the modern anaesthetic propofol is a suitable inducting agent.     

Landiolol attenuates acute hemodynamic responses but does not reduce seizure duration during maintenance electroconvulsive therapy

Maintenance electroconvulsive therapy (mECT) is an outpatient procedure that requires further consideration in terms of management of ambulatory anesthesia. Although many adjunctive drugs for stabilizing hemodynamic changes during ECT have been reported, side-effects of these drugs may delay recovery and discharge from hospital. The effects of landiolol, a novel ultra-short-acting beta-adrenergic blocker, have been measured on seizure duration, hemodynamic changes, recovery from anesthesia, and cognitive function during mECT under propofol anesthesia. A total of 10 patients with depression in the remission phase, were studied in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover manner. Administration of 0.1 mg/kg of landiolol immediately before anesthesia significantly blunted the increase in heart rate and blood pressure during convulsions compared with placebo; landiolol was not associated with excessive hypotension or bradycardia. Landiolol did not affect seizure duration, recovery from anesthesia, or cognitive function before or after ECT. These results suggest that landiolol can be used effectively and safely during mECT.     

Propofol Anesthesia in ECT

Multiple independent investigators have reported that propofol anesthesia during electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is associated with substantially shorter ECT seizure duration than barbiturate anesthesia, which evidences seizure obstruction by propofol. Seizure length after propofol narcosis is often below the 20-30 s range accepted as minimally adequate. Seizure-induced elevations of prolactin, adrenocorticotropic hormone, and cortisol are similarly lower after propofol. Together with a recent report that average course length with propofol exceeds 16 sessions, this report indicates that propofol is undesirable for routine ECT anesthesia, and also illustrates how aspects of ECT anesthesia that affect the psychiatric or behavioral outcome require the collaboration of a psychiatrist.     

Comparative hemodynamic effects of urapidil and labetalol after electroconvulsive therapy.

Urapidil, a postsynaptic alpha 1 -adrenergic antagonist, has been reported to improve intraoperative hemodynamic stability, although it has never been used to prevent the hemodynamic response of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). This study was designed to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of urapidil, as an alternative to labetalol, in preventing the hemodynamic response of ECT. Twenty-seven patients undergoing a series of six consecutive ECT treatments were studied. Each patient received all three pretreatments twice: no drug, labetalol 0.2 mg/kg, or urapidil 25 mg. Systolic, diastolic, and mean blood pressure and heart rate (HR) were recorded during the awake state, after anesthesia induction, and 1, 2, 5, 10 and 30 minutes after electroencephalographic (EEG) seizure ended. The duration of the EEG convulsion was also recorded. After induction, the HR increased for no drug and urapidil pretreatments, whereas it decreased when labetalol was given. Labetalol and urapidil attenuated the peak increase of blood pressure and returned it to earlier baseline values. There were no differences in the duration of EEG convulsion between the three pretreatments. Urapidil seems to be a good alternative to labetalol for attenuating the hypertensive response to ECT in cases where there is a contraindication to beta-antagonists.     

The effects of etomidate on seizure duration and electrical stimulus dose in seizure-resistant patients during electroconvulsive therapy

OBJECTIVE: Methohexital used to be the preferred anesthetic used in electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Since 1999, there have been supply problems for this drug, and there has been no clear guidance regarding which anesthetic should be used preferably in ECT. Most clinics use thiopental or propofol, although these drugs may increase the seizure threshold. We investigated if etomidate improves seizure duration compared with thiopental in cases where eliciting seizures becomes problematic. METHODS: During our routine delivery of ECT at a general psychiatric hospital in Cardiff, UK, we observed 5 patients who had ECT courses with thiopental and did not achieve adequate seizure duration despite very high electric stimulation. They later relapsed and received second courses of ECT under etomidate. We compared the seizure duration and the electric charge needed to produce the seizures for a total of 46 pairs of ECT sessions given under the 2 anesthetics on the same patients. RESULTS: The average electric stimulation dose required to induce seizures was reduced from 638 to 497 millicoulombs (95% confidence interval, 60-221; P = 0.001). Despite the lower dose, the length of observed seizure duration increased by 10.3 seconds (65%) and that of the electroencephalograph-recorded duration increased by 8.7 seconds (41%) (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Etomidate has a distinct advantage over thiopental in producing seizures of adequate duration during ECT and should be used as the first-line measure in augmenting seizures in patients who have very high seizure thresholds.     

Changes in hemodynamics during isoflurane and propofol anesthesia: a comparison study

Abstract

Objectives: Volatile anesthetics are thought to impair cerebral autoregulation more than i.v. anesthetics. However, few comparative studies have been carried out in humans. The aim of our study was to evaluate the differences in cerebral hemodynamic changes after introduction of isoflurane (a volatile anesthetic) and propofol (an i.v. anesthetic).

Methods: Eighteen consecutive patients submitted to laparoscopic cholecystectomy were selected. After the induction, anesthesia was maintained by isoflurane (one minimum alveolar anesthetic concentration) during the first part of the surgical operation, and then by propofol (5 mg/kg/hour i.v.). Ventilation was adjusted to maintain a constant end-tidal CO₂. Middle artery flow velocity was assessed by means of transcranial Doppler ultrasonography. Arterial blood pressure, heart rate (HR), capnometry, pulse oxymetry, inspired fraction of O₂, and body temperature, were monitored.

Results: Cerebral artery velocity, HR, and mean arterial pressure all significantly increased from baseline after the introduction of isoflurane (p<0.05); the HR and mean arterial blood pressure showed no significant difference between the isoflurane and propofol phases. Isoflurane anesthesia induced a significant increase in cerebral blood velocity. Propofol introduction led to a significant decrease in cerebral artery velocity (p<0.05).

Conclusions: Propofol but not isoflurane decreased cerebral blood velocity thus restoring cerebral autoregulation and the coupling between cerebral blood flow and cerebral metabolism.     

Benefits of the laryngeal mask for airway management during electroconvulsive therapy

Accumulation of carbon dioxide (CO2) can disturb systemic hemodynamics and increase the seizure threshold in patients receiving electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the laryngeal mask on blood gas, hemodynamics, and seizure duration during ECT under propofol anesthesia. Ventilation was assisted using either a face mask (n=23) or laryngeal mask (n=23) and 100% oxygen. There was no significant difference in PaO2 between the two groups. PaCO2 was greater in the face mask group than the laryngeal mask group at 3 minutes (54 +/- 11 mm Hg, 41 +/- 8 mm Hg, respectively) and 5 minutes (52 +/- 11 mm Hg, 43 +/- 15 mm Hg, respectively) after electrical stimulation (p<0.01). Mean blood pressure was higher than the corresponding preanesthesia value at 1 to 5 minutes after electrical stimulation in the face mask group and at 1 to 3 minutes after electrical stimulation in the laryngeal mask group. Mean seizure duration in the face mask group was significantly shorter than that in the laryngeal mask group (33 +/- 11 seconds, 42 +/- 10 seconds, respectively p<0.01). The change in PaCO2 was minor in the laryngeal mask group compared with the face mask group and seizure duration was longer in the laryngeal mask group. Laryngeal mask may be suitable for airway management during ECT anesthesia, especially when fitting a face mask is difficult.