ECT PRACTICE IN THE KINGDOM OF DENMARK: A NATIONWIDE REGISTER- AND QUESTIONNAIRE-BASED STUDY

• Main Author: Videbech, Poul
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: English
• Published: Morressier 2017
• Subjects: Faroe Islands; Greenland
• Online Access: https://openresearchlibrary.org/viewer/8aae890b-8fa9-44f7-8ad8-c6fabea8f440; https://openresearchlibrary.org/ext/api/media/8aae890b-8fa9-44f7-8ad8-c6fabea8f440/assets/external_content.pdf; https://doi.org/10.26226/morressier.5d1a037457558b317a1404d9

Objectives: The objective was to conduct a combined national register- and questionnaire-based study of the clinical practice of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in the Kingdom of Denmark (Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands).Background and aims: ECT is an effective treatment of several psychiatric disorders and is performed in many countries worldwide. Studies indicate that the practice of ECT still vary considerably between and within countries. The aim of the study was to survey the contemporary practice of ECT and describe the variations that exist in the homogenous public health care system in the Kingdom of Denmark.Materials and methods: We retrieved data regarding ECT utilization from the Danish National Patient Registry (DNPR). Additionally, we developed a 45-item questionnaire and sent it to all psychiatric departments practicing ECT in Denmark (n=26), Greenland (n=1) and the Faroe Islands (n=1). Results: According to the DNPR, a total of 21,730 ECTs were administered to 1,891 unique patients in 2017. Affective disorders were the predominant (>70%) diagnostic indication for ECT in Denmark. All departments responded to the questionnaire. All the psychiatric departments practiced modified ECT (with anesthesia and muscle relaxant), on brief-pulse Thymatron devices, either System 4 or DGX. The preferred electrode placement was bilateral, except for one department preferring unilateral. The main variations in the practice concerned differences in the monitoring and documentation of treatment effects and side-effects, including cognitive side-effects.Conclusions: ECT is frequently used in Denmark, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands in a relatively uniform way in adherence with national and international clinical guidelines.