NCLEX RN Practice Question # 747

NCLEX Examination.

Practice Question # 747.

ELECTROCONVULSIVE THERAPY (ECT)

• ECT is an effective treatment for depression that consists of inducing a tonic-clonic seizure by passing an electrical current through electrodes attached to the temples.
• The administration of a muscle relaxant minimizes seizure activity, preventing damage to long bones and cervical vertebrae.
• The usual course is 6 to 12 treatments given 2 to 3 times per week.
• Maintenance ECT once a month may help decrease the relapse rate for a client with recurrent depression.
• ECT is not a permanent cure.
• ECT is not always effective in clients with dysthymic depression, depression and personality disorders, drug dependence, or depression secondary to situational or social difficulties.
• At-risk clients include clients with recent myocardial infarction, brain attack (stroke), or intracranial mass lesions.