(Please note the above PDF file is quite large and may
take some minutes to download.)
This report presents the latest clinical guidelines for
psychiatrists who prescribe electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and
practitioners who administer it. It clarifies the place of ECT in
contemporary practice and reviews the evidence for its efficacy.
Recommendations about practical administration will maximise the
effectiveness of the treatment and minimise any possible adverse
effects.
- Latest clinical guidelines on the use of ECT.
- Practicalities of administration.
- Evaluation of adjunctive psychotropic drug therapy.
- Discussion of legal issues and consent.
- Appendices containing protocols, sample consent and
authorisation forms and other useful resources.
(This report replaces Council Report CR39: The ECT
Handbook, 1st edition and, as of Jan 2007, it also replaces
CR73: Guidance for Health Care Commissioners for an ECT
Service.)