Post–Electroconvulsive Therapy Hyperthermia

Post–Electroconvulsive Therapy Hyperthermia

“…Similarly, ECT-induced hyperthermia has been reported in a 35-year-old man with cerebral palsy presenting with catatonia 2 and also in a 27-year-old man with mild-moderate intellectual disability and bipolar disorder treated with ECT 3 . Similar occurrences have been reported in a 65-year-old woman with bipolar disorder within hours of every session of ECT 4 . The exact mechanism of how post-ECT fever occurs is unknown.…”

“…Febrile reaction can also be a result of electric stimulation causing innate immune reaction leading to production of pyrogens 5 . There are several studies on the acute effect of ECT on natural killer (NK) cell activity with an increment in NK cell activity within minutes of ECT administration 4 . A single session of ECT was reported to increase interleukin 6 activity in one study.…”

Effective Electroconvulsive Therapy for Catatonia in a Patient With Pitt-Hopkins Syndrome and Autism Spectrum Disorder

“…The possibility of post-ECT hyperthermia was considered. 5 The patient was discharged 33 days after admission, with major improvements in behavior and catatonic symptoms. By the time of discharge, she had appropriate food intake, stereotypic movements were significantly reduced, and interaction with others improved.…”

“…Interestingly, this result is consistent with 2 previous randomised controlled trials (RCTs) showing that medical students trained with a high-fidelity simulation manikin presented a significant improvement in their skills, comforts, and knowledge toward ECT, in comparison with students benefiting from a classic training. 4,5 This study has some limitations. First, we used an observational design without any control group and a small sample size.…”

Transient Febrile Episodes After Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)

“…Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) remains the most effective acute treatment for depression. Although fever is not a commonly noted adverse effect, previous case reports have described episodes of hyperthermia after treatment with ECT 1–5 . These episodes have tended to be brief and resolve after discontinuation of ECT.…”