| Technical safety of electroshock |
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Health services are not often enough the cognitive side effects of electroshock, says the National Board. Several clinics are also breaking the safety rules for medical technology.
Health care gaps in information and follow up on possible side effects
of electroshock. The state Welfare in an assessment report today. The Authority has examined seven psychiatric hospitals in Norrkoping,
Linköping, Motala, Gothenburg, Molndal, Huddinge and Stockholm and 127
patient records, 83 patients are women and 44 men.
Get health care providers have a structured approach to the assessment of disturbed memory function or other adverse effects on memory by ECT. We are not satisfied with health care providers information, documentation or follow up on the field, says Birgitta Hagstrom, Head of the National Board Inspection Department in a statement.
The Board's supervisory physician writes in the report that "the
systematic and structured assessment of the patient's cognitive
functions are not routine."
In addition, every third patient had no information on whether the
patient is informed of the unwanted but common side effects, such as
memory loss and other cognitive problems.
Electric shock is the method strongly questioned in Sweden and abroad,
and its soothing and healing effect is also controversial. According to
the National Board is used in Sweden, mainly in patients suffering from
severe depression, high suicide risk, but the review also shows that it
also used for other diagnoses. The patient is anesthetized and receive
anticonvulsants. Then run an electric current to the head, which causes
seizures.
Treatment may only be granted provided that the patient consented.
We have been able to share patient stories where you felt that you had
not been sufficiently informed. ECT is a very controversial method of
treatment and information to patients needs to be adapted. It is
important to ensure that the patient is involved, says Marten Gerle, a
medical expert on the National Board.
Five of the seven clinics are also reported to break the rules relating to patient safety.
Two of them had no mandate from the caregiver to perform electroshock,
one was a training officer, a lack of procedures for reporting product
defect and a clinic did not know if the device used is CE-marked, that
they meet EU electrical safety regulations.
According to the National Board, the results show that the "right group"
may be reading and that a majority of them are said to relieve
symptoms.
Abnormalities were 8-15 treatments per patient. But in two cases, patients treated 244 and 257 times.
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| Last Updated ( Saturday, 14 January 2012 ) |
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