Biochemical markers of myocardial injury in patients of prolonged seizures after modified electroconvulsive therapy

Objectiye To observe the prevalence of prolonged seizures and the changes of biochemical markers of myocardial injury in patients with prolonged seizures after modified electroconvulsive therapy(MECT).Methods Patients treated with MECT or simulated ECT were divided into three groups.Group Ⅰ , 26 patients,experienced at least one prolonged seizure after MECT;group Ⅱ,41 selected patients, had not prolonged seizures at all during a course of MECT treatments and group Ⅲ, 31 patients, received simulated ECT.Biochemical markers of myocardial injury, including phosphocreatine kinase (CK), MR isoenzyme of phosphocreatine kinase (CK-MB), lactate dehydrogenase ( LDH ), α-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase ( α-HBDH ) and cardiac troponin (cTnT) ,were measured immediately, 3 hours later and on the following day after the first prolonged seizure for group Ⅰ ,the same time points as group Ⅰ after the first treatment of MECT for group Ⅱ , immediately after simulated ECT for group Ⅲ.These indexes were compared between the patients of three groups.Results The positive rate ofcTnT was 30.8%(8/26) and 17.1% (7/41)in group Ⅰ and Ⅱ respectively, but no difference was found(P＞0.05 ).CK measured immediately after MECT in patients of group Ⅰ was significantly higher than that of group Ⅲ(P ＜ 0.05 ).CK-MB (immediately), LDH ( immediately and 3 hours later) and α-HBDH ( immediately, 3 hours later and on the following day) in patients of group Ⅰ were significantly higher than those of group Ⅱ and Ⅲ measured after MECT or simulated ECT(P＜0.05 ).Conclusion More attention should be paid that absolute or relative hypoxemia may lead to minor myocardial injury. Key words: Electroconvulsive therapy;  Prolonged seizures;  Markers of myocardial injury