The safety of electroconvulsive therapy in patients with prolonged QTc intervals on the electrocardiogram.

BACKGROUND

Prolonged QTc intervals have been associated with increased cardiac morbidity and mortality. We investigated whether pretreatment prolongation of the QTc interval was associated with increased cardiac-related events (CREs) in electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) treatment of psychiatric disorders.

METHODS

The charts of 1437 ECT patients were reviewed for the presence of baseline QTc prolongation. Broadly defined CREs during the course of treatment were abstracted from patient charts.

RESULTS

Presence of baseline QTc prolongation was not independent of increased risk of CREs during ECT.

IMPLICATIONS: Careful consideration should be given to patients who have QTc prolongation on an electrocardiogram and are undergoing ECT treatment, but this should not definitively exclude patients from receiving ECT treatment.