Iraqi Journal of Medical Sciences






   
Vol. 8 Issue 2 April - June / 2010
Published on website | Date : 2016-05-19 09:18:03

THE ROLE OF ELECTROCONVULSIVE THERAPY IN GENERAL HOSPITAL PSYCHIATRIC INPATIENTS TREATMENT IN BAGHDAD

Muhammad A.H.S. Al-Samarrai , Uday A.J. Khalid


Abstract

Background: Despite the controversy about the role of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) it is still widely used in the treatment of some psychiatric disorders.
Objectives: The aim of the study is to identify characteristics of the psychiatric inpatients and the role of ECT in the treatment of their disorders.
Methods: Medical records of all inpatients admitted to Al Kadhymia teaching hospital; psychiatric unit were studied carefully. A special form was designed to collect the data. Diagnosis was made according to the International Classification of Diseases, the Tenth Revision (ICD-10).
All the patients were examined physically.
Results: The 145 inpatients included were 76(52.4%) males and 69(47.8%) females with age distribution of 17-75 years. Males were younger than females and 64.7% of the total sample was under the age of 40 years. Average duration of admission was 4.6 weeks.
Schizophrenia made the most frequent diagnosis (41.4%) followed by depression (25.5%) and Mania (7.6%). All patients received psychosocial and psychotropic treatment. Only 13 classical medicines were used.
ECT was received by 42% of the sample. There was higher numbers of males who received ECT than females and the difference was significant. There was no association between ECT and age. Only 5 patients aged between 60 and 66 years and 4 of them aged 17 years had ECT.
The primary usage was for Schizophrenia which represented 69% of ECT recipients followed by depression (23%). It was significant that males received ECT more than females.
Conclusion: The findings suggest that majority of the inpatients can be treated with medications alone but still there is high rate of using ECT for many different disorders including schizophrenia.
Key words: ECT, Psychiatry, inpatients


Full-text