Variations of blood glucose level in non-diabetic patients before and after Electroconvulsive Therapy

Introduction: Application of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for the induction of generalized seizure was first introduced in 1938. It is applied for disorders as severe depression particularly for cases which do not respond to drug therapy, or during pregnancy when medication is detrimental to the fetus. The debate on the effect of ECT on blood glucose level is still contradictory. However, studies show improvement of glycemic control in insulin-independent diabetes and also hyperglycemia in insulin dependent diabetes. This study was carried out to compare blood glucose level before and after ECT in patients with psychiatric disorders. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on patients assessed as class one and class two according to ASA physical status classification system at Ebne-sina hospital in Bandar Abbas, Iran. The study included 80 patients – suffering from psychiatric disorders including major depression, bipolar mood disorder and schizophrenia – as candidates for ECT. Blood glucose level was measured by Richter Glucometer at 10 min before and 20 min after ECT. Anesthesia was administered through intravenous injection of Atropine, Thiopental sodium and Succinylcholine. The data were analyzed by SPSS 16 statistical package using t-test and linear regression. Results: There was no significant relationship between the changes of blood glucose before and after ECT in non-diabetic patients. No significant relationship was observed between the changes of blood glucose before and after ECT in non-diabetic patients based on sex. There was no significant relationship between the changes of blood glucose before and after ECT in non-diabetic patients based on type of disorder. Conclusion: ECT did not affect on blood glucose level changes