HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS Psychiatric Bulletin Advances in Psychiatric Treatment All RCPsych Journals		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Submit an eLetter Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Harris, C. R. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Harris, C. R.

Electronarcosis: A Safe Technique for Routine Administration Under Anaesthesia and Eulissen (Decamethonium Iodide or C.10)

Holloway Sanatorium, Virginia Water

ABSTRACT

Summary and Conclusions: This report deals with 18 months' experience with electronarcosis.

The establishment of a technique by the use of thiopentone and C.10 is described. It is dependent upon an efficient team and correct doses of thiopentone and C.10, as well as upon the anaesthetist's ability in caring for the apnoeic patient.

Electronarcosis is a relatively safe form of physical therapy, and complications should not arise if the technique as described above is correctly carried out. In this series the few experienced could all be traced to errors in technique.

Patients are surprisingly undisturbed throughout the whole course of treatment, and are able to carry out their usual activities within 3 hours.

In this hospital there has been a gradual reduction in the use of chemical narcosis through the introduction of E.L.N.

It is particularly noticeable that patients who are familiar with the nature of epileptiform convulsions prefer "shock" treatment with anaesthesia and curarization rather than without it, and have no hesitation in accepting E.L.N. and E.C.T. under the above conditions.

In contrast to d-tubocurarine, C.10 has the following advantages : it has a quicker action, and produces as good, if not better, relaxation of the vocal cords. There is less involvement of the respiratory muscles. Its effects wear off more quickly, and the period under observation in the recovery room is much reduced.

With increasing experience and confidence in the technique an increasingly larger number of senile patients are being treated.

At this stage no claim is made that the method described is superior to other forms of shock therapy, but, in certain patients, it does produce striking results where other methods have failed. There is some evidence to suggest that the paranoid reaction in, older patients responds well to electronarcosis.