General anesthesia for electroconvulsive therapy in Japan

Abstract

Modified electroconvulsive therapy (m-ECT) is administered under general anesthesia with intravenous anesthetics and muscle relaxants to reduce patient anxiety and avoid adverse events such as bone fractures. Improvements in anesthetic techniques have been made with the use of new drugs and strategies aimed at preventing complications. It is necessary to further improve the safety of this treatment modality by careful assessment of each patient's systemic condition by fostering close cooperation between anesthesiologists and internists.