[Electroconvulsive therapy in the third trimester of pregnancy: a case report].

Abstract

Electroconvulsive or electroshock therapy is an effective psychiatric treatment. The need for effective psychotherapy in the pregnant patient and the need to limit application of psychotropic drugs have encouraged the use of electroshock therapy in the past 50 years. We report the case of a 35-year-old woman at 30 weeks' gestation who was hospitalized with severe depression. When her condition worsened after initiation of medical treatment, electroshock therapy was considered. She received a total of 9 sessions (3 per week). During treatments the patient received general anesthesia with propofol and succinylcholine with insertion of a tracheal tube. Significant variations in the hemodynamic variables of mother and fetus were not observed; nor were there signs of fetal distress. The patient experienced clear improvement and 2 days after the last treatment spontaneous labor commenced. A healthy boy was born by vaginal delivery.