ORIGINAL PAPER EARLY READMISSION IN PATIENTS AFTER ELECTROCONVULSIVE THERAPY IN A UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL SETTING- A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an effective treatment for major mental illnesses. It is used to achieve rapid and short-term improvement of severe symptoms after an adequate trial of other treatment options have proven ineffective. Relapse rates following ECT are high and leading to early readmission. Objective: To study the early readmission rate in patients had received ECT and its relation with age, gender, race and clinical diagnosis. Methods: This is a retrospective descriptive study of patients who had received ECT in 1-year period. Subjects were identified from the ECT record book. Case notes of these patients were then traced and reviewed. Clinical diagnosis and demographic data were collected. Patients readmitted within 6 months after being discharged were identified. The data was compared for the readmitted and not readmitted group. Result: A total of 156 subjects who had received ECT were included in this study. Mean age was 40 years old, 51 % were female and the main diagnosis was bipolar affective disorder (42.9%). Early readmission rate was 30.1%. Mean time to relapse was 5.3 months. Chi Square analysis indicated that younger age was significantly associated with early readmission among ECT patients. Conclusion: ECT patients had high early readmission rate. Adequate post ECT psychosocial intervention and pharmacotherapy may help to reduce the readmission rate