This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Protocol for electro-convulsive therapy

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Electro-convulsive therapy is applied in the following manner:

  • the patient is given a general anaesthetic with a muscle relaxant
  • for bilateral ECT electrodes are placed on the temples
  • for unilateral ECT the electrodes are placed at the front and back of one side of the head
  • current is passed between the electrodes
  • seizure activity must last more than 30 seconds to be effective
  • a course of ECT usually consists of 6-12 sessions occuring 2-3 times per week

Create an account to add page annotations

Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page