Double-blind placebo controlled study of the effects of etomidate-alfentanil anesthesia in electroconvulsive therapy

• Published in: The journal of ECT Vol. 20; no. 2; p. 107
• Main Authors: van den Broek, Walter W, Groenland, Theo H N, Kusuma, Arinardi, Mulder, Paul G H, Bruijn, Jan A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.06.2004
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Alfentanil - administration & dosage; Alfentanil - pharmacology; Anesthetics, Intravenous - pharmacology; Blood Pressure - drug effects; Depressive Disorder - therapy; Double-Blind Method; Electroconvulsive Therapy - adverse effects; Electroconvulsive Therapy - methods; Etomidate - administration & dosage; Etomidate - pharmacology; Female; Heart Rate - drug effects; Humans; Hypertension - etiology; Hypertension - prevention & control; Infusions, Intravenous; Male; Middle Aged; Myoclonus; Placebos; Tachycardia - etiology; Tachycardia - prevention & control
• ISSN: 1095-0680
• DOI: 10.1097/00124509-200406000-00006

The effect of etomidate and alfentanil on heart rate, systolic arterial pressure, diastolic arterial pressure, and mean arterial pressure was compared with etomidate and placebo during electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). We also studied the influence of alfentanil on seizure duration using both the cuff method and 2-lead electroencephalographs on the prevention of myoclonus induction by etomidate, on duration of apnea and on postictal agitation after ECT. We enrolled 21 consecutive patients in a prospective placebo-controlled, within patient blocked randomized study. Alfentanil significantly reduced heart rate, diastolic arterial pressure, and mean arterial pressure both before and after the stimulus. The increase in these variables during the convulsion was not affected, compared with placebo. Alfentanil had no effect on seizure duration. However, apnea duration was prolonged during the alfentanil sessions as compared with placebo (73 seconds). Alfentanil did not significantly reduce the occurrence of myoclonus after etomidate as compared with placebo, nor did postictal agitation after ECT appear more often with alfentanil. Alfentanil could be useful to reduce tachycardia and hypertension during ECT in high-risk patients without effects on seizure duration. Alfentanil itself has no proconvulsive effect in combination with etomidate.