WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS DURING AN ECT TREATMENT?
A general anaesthetic is given by a senior anaesthetist and this puts the patient to sleep. At the same time a muscle relaxant is administered. Then a carefully calculated electric current is passed across the brain via electrodes, for approximately 3 - 4 seconds. The effect is to trigger an epileptic seizure. Because of the muscle relaxant, there will be little movement of the body. It is not a surgical operation, no incision is made.
The patient will be unaware of the treatment because of the anaesthetic. The photographs and plan? of the ECT suite show a typical layout and examples of equipment used.
