Drug modification of ECT: methohexital and diazepam. II.

A systematic comparison of methohexital and diazepam as anesthetics in the drug modification of ECT was done by holding atropinizaton, succinylcholine-depolarizing neuromuscular blockade, and resuscitation constant while monitoring four ECT in each of 24 patients. Each patient served as his own control, and two dosages of each drug (0.25 and 0.35 mg/kg diazepam, 0.9 and 1.1 mg/kg methohexital) were given each patient in all possible orderings (4! = 24) in a scheduled experimental design in which methohexital was given by very rapid (5 sec) and diazepam was given by the recommended slower (60 sec) infusion. The data revealed significant differences and methohexital was superior. Eight of 48 (17%) EKGs were abnormal post-ECT with methohexital, 18 of 48 (38%, phi = 5.3, p < 0.025) with diazepam. Five of 24 (21%) patients had an abnormal post-ECT EKG with methohexital, 15 of 24 (60%, phi 8.6, p < 0.005) with diazepam. Significantly more ventricular premature contractions (VPCs) occurred after diazepam. Diazepam records contained both more numerous and more extensive EKG abnormalities. Methohexital induction was clinically superior as well; there was little of the induction restlessness seen in seven treatments with diazepam (phi2 7.6, p < 0.01). The differences were less marked than in a previous study in which diazepam was given as rapidly as methohexital. Methohexital has been demonstrated to be the anexthesia of safety and choice for ECT when compared to diazepam.