Patient- and Family-Centered Electroconvulsive Therapy.

This article builds upon prior efforts to improve the quality of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) practice and care by encouraging the participation of family members in the ECT process. This participation included the presence of a family member or significant other (SO) in the treatment room during the ECT procedure. Suggestions for limiting that presence to the induction process and for providing limited physical contact with the patient are proposed. The participation of the SO during the pretreatment assessment process is encouraged. Because of possible impairment of memory and judgment, accurate information about the patient's condition and intercurrent life events, as provided by the SO, is often crucial. Furthermore, the patient's report may be influenced by the common experience of fear of ECT. Under these circumstances, an alliance with the SO may at times be more crucial than the alliance with the patient. The importance of establishing a therapeutic alliance with both patient and SO is emphasized. An illustrative clinical vignette is provided.

Average Tibial Plateau Angle of 3,922 Stifles Undergoing Surgical Stabilization for Cranial Cruciate Ligament Rupture.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to report the average tibial plateau angle (TPA) from a large sample of dogs and to determine if breed or gonadectomy had a significant association with abnormal TPA. STUDY DESIGN: This was a retrospective case study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Medical records from 2006 to 2015 were reviewed for dogs that were diagnosed with cranial cruciate ligament (CrCL) rupture and underwent dynamic surgical stabilization. Signalment, examination findings, preoperative TPA and surgical report were reviewed. RESULTS: A total of 3,249 dogs underwent CrCL stabilization surgery from 2006 to 2015. Of the 3,249 dogs, 3,054 dogs met the inclusion criteria for a total of 3,922 stifles to be evaluated. The average preoperative TPA was 29° ± 3.7°. Average breed-specific preoperative TPA ranged from 27° to 35.1°, with four breeds having significantly lesser TPA and four breeds significantly greater TPA than the overall mean of dogs. Neutered dogs had a higher TPA of 28.87° ± 3.8° than non-neutered dogs with an average TPA of 26.88° ± 4.0°, p < 0.001. There was not a significant difference in average TPA between females and males, regardless of the neuter status. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Our reported preoperative TPA in a large sample of dogs is higher than what has been previously published. In reviewing 3,922 stifles, the average preoperative TPA was 29°. We report the average preoperative TPA in specific breeds and report that neutered dogs have a significantly higher TPA than intact dogs. This updated information may guide clinicians in management decisions regarding treatment for CrCL rupture.

Electroconvulsive therapy in chinese patients: a case series.

Although a growing body of literature suggests that ethnic differences affect individuals' response to psychotropic medication, there are little data describing ethnic differences in response to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). In this report, the charts of 12 Chinese patients given ECT in a New York City inpatient Asian psychiatric unit during an 18-month period were reviewed. No significant differences in response to ECT compared with typical response to ECT in the United States were found. The average number of treatments administered, response rate, and relapse rate were approximately consistent with American data. The only difference observed was the presence of delusions in all the patients referred for ECT.

Petit Mal-Grand Mal ECT: A Method to Induce Seizures Without Barbiturate Anesthesia.

Petit mal-grand mal (PM-GM) electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a technique developed by Impastato to elicit unconsciousness with a subconvulsive electrical stimulus, rather than with barbiturate anesthesia. Muscle relaxation is produced with succinylcholine chloride before stimulus is applied. The cases reported here illustrate applications of the technique to depressed patients with severe cardiac and pulmonary disease, and the use of PM-GM ECT in a patient in whom seizures could not be elicited by the usual ECT technique is described.