전기충격요법 사용에 관한 정신과의사의 견해 및 실시현황

Survey on the Use of ECT in Korean Psychiatrists

The authors of this study surveyed the opinions of 211 Korean psychiatrists about the use of Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT). The results of the survey are summarized as follows; 1. ECT was accepted w ith a favorable attitude by 73% of the psychiatrists surveyed. The most common reason for agreement was that if indication is followed the ECT generally produces excellent results. But in actual clinical practice most Korean psychiatrists are hesitant in preforming the ECT and have a somewhat less active attitude towards ECT than psychiaz trists in America. 2. The major indications for theuse of ECT were major depression, manic excitement and schizophrenia in the order of their frequency. The main reasons for the selection of ECT as a therapeutic tool were emergency therapy, when all other treatment methods have failed and as a combined treatment therapy that can produce more favorable results. 3. The use of the ECT for the treatment of schizophrenia was very limited except for a few selected cases. 4. Korean psychiatrists showed relatively rigid adherence to obtaining the consent before ECT and the pre-operational work-up. The softening and unilateral ECT had received little use in Korea and a similar tendency was shown towards intensive and maintenance EC丁. Most psychiatrists (J9% ) tended to use the ECT 2 or 3 times a ewek w ith a majority of their patients. In cases where the ECT was used in concomitant with anti-psychotic drug therapy, there showed a tendency for a slight reduction in drug dosages during the ECT. 5. Post-ECT complications and/or adverse effects were fracture, dislocation, permanent disability in occupational performance and spontaneous seizures etc. Occurrences of above complications seem to be more than expected in this study and this was not negligible. A total of six patients were known to have expired with in twentyfour hours after ECT.