Word parts
What it means
A treatment used mostly for severe depression that has not improved with medicines, or when a fast response is needed, such as with strong suicidal thoughts. The client is given general anesthesia and a muscle relaxant, so the body barely moves during the controlled seizure. A course is usually several treatments over a few weeks. Short-term confusion, headache and memory loss around the time of treatment are common.
For the nurse
Before treatment, check that consent is signed and the client has had nothing to eat or drink as ordered. Afterward, monitor vital signs and breathing as the client wakes, reorient them, and keep them safe from falls while confused.
At a glance
| Spanish | terapia electroconvulsiva |
|---|---|
| Also written | ECT |
Related terms
seizure
A sudden burst of abnormal electrical activity in the brain that changes movement, feeling, behavior or awareness.
informed consent
A person's agreement to a treatment or procedure, given freely after the risks, benefits and other choices have been explained to them.
anesthesia
Loss of feeling or sensation, often brought on by drugs so that surgery or a procedure can be done without pain.