No access

Article

Published Online: August 1953

THE FACTOR OF HYPOXEMIA IN ELECTROSHOCK THERAPY

G. HOLMBERGAuthors Info & Affiliations

Publication: American Journal of Psychiatry

Volume 110, Number 2

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.110.2.115

Get Access

Abstract

The arterial oxygen saturation in electroshock therapy has been determined with the aid of a photoelectric oximeter. The following observations were made:

1. Electroshock causes rather severe, but transitory, hypoxemia.

2. Impaired respiration after the convulsion can give rise to severe and rather prolonged hypoxemia.

3. If more than one shock is necessary to produce a convulsion the degree of hypoxemia is considerably increased.

4. The administration of pure oxygen for a period of ½ to 1 minute (1 minute in elderly individuals) immediately before as well as after the shock considerably reduces the degree of hypoxemia.

5. The oxygen administration prolongs the convulsion. The intensity of the convulsion is probably also somewhat increased, thus possibly increasing the risk of skeletal injuries.

6. The addition of 6% carbon dioxide to the oxygen gas is a somewhat poorer protection against hypoxia than pure oxygen. Carbon dioxide also appears to increase further the duration of the convulsions.

7. When a muscle-relaxing agent is used and oxygen insufflated, a maximum oxygen saturation of the arterial blood can be obtained throughout the treatment. The convulsion is thereby greatly prolonged.

Get full access to this article

View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.

Get Access

Information & Authors

Information

Published In

American Journal of Psychiatry

Volume 110 • Number 2 • August 1953

Pages: 115 - 118

PubMed: 13065524

History

Published in print: August 1953

Published online: 1 April 2006

Authors

Details

G. HOLMBERG

The Psychiatric Clinic, Karolinska sjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden.

View all articles by this author

Metrics & Citations

Metrics

Citations

Export Citations

If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.

For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu.

Format	RIS (ProCite, Reference Manager) EndNote BibTex Medlars RefWorks
Direct importt
Citation style
Style

Copy to clipboard
Tips for downloading citations

View Options

Login options

Already a subscriber? Access your subscription through your login credentials or your institution for full access to this article.

Personal login Institutional Login Open Athens login

Purchase Options

Purchase this article to access the full text.

PPV Articles - American Journal of Psychiatry

Not a subscriber?

Subscribe Now / Learn More

PsychiatryOnline subscription options offer access to the DSM-5-TR^® library, books, journals, CME, and patient resources. This all-in-one virtual library provides psychiatrists and mental health professionals with key resources for diagnosis, treatment, research, and professional development.

Need more help? PsychiatryOnline Customer Service may be reached by emailing [email protected] or by calling 800-368-5777 (in the U.S.) or 703-907-7322 (outside the U.S.).

THE FACTOR OF HYPOXEMIA IN ELECTROSHOCK THERAPY

Abstract

Get full access to this article