Publication
Title
The impact of electroconvulsive therapy on the duration of elderly inpatient hospitalisation : a retrospective chart review
Author
Abstract
BACKGROUND Reducing the length of hospital stay (lohs) of elderly psychiatric patients is of great importance. The role of electroconvulsive therapy (ect) in this process is still unclear.
AIM: To explore the impact of ect on the lohs in elderly (>60 years) with major depressive disorder (mdd).
METHOD: All charts of patients with a diagnosis of mdd, discharged from geriatric psychiatry wards from April 2009 to December 2017 were gathered. Two groups were further explored: those who did not receive ect although available (no-ect; n = 170) and those who received ect within 3 weeks of admission (ect<3wks; n = 60). As primary outcome measure lohs was used.
RESULTS: No significant difference in lohs was observed between the no-ect group and the ect< 3wks group (mean 90.3 (sd: 109.2) and 86.4 (sd: 70.9) days; p=0.798). The distribution of diagnoses in the groups was significantly different (p<0.001) with psychotic features in 35.2% of patients in the no-ect group and 72% in the ect<3wks group. CONCLUSIONS Electroconvulsive therapy did not significantly change lohs in elderly with mdd. Time until starting ect and the presence of psychotic features appear to be important confounders that need to be taken into account in further research.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Tijdschrift voor psychiatrie. - Utrecht, 1972, currens
Publication
Utrecht : 2020
ISSN
0303-7339 [print]
1875-7456 [online]
Volume/pages
62 :3 (2020) , p. 180-186
Pubmed ID
32207127
Full text (open access)
UAntwerpen
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Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
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Creation 03.02.2021
Last edited 07.10.2022
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