Anesthetic induction for ECT with etomidate is associated with longer seizure duration than thiopentone.

Many factors influence seizure duration associated with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). This is a chart review study to assess seizure duration measured with both electroencephalography and electromyography after anesthetic induction with either thiopentone or etomidate. Thirty-seven patients receiving ECT for depression were entered into the study, and a pair of seizures was measured from each patient. Alternate induction agents were used in sequential pairings, and the study was controlled for interval between seizures, laterality, and percent energy. Etomidate was associated with a significantly (p = 0.0002, F = 15.84, df = 1, analysis of variance) longer seizure duration (mean = 34.43 s, SD = 16.06) than thiopentone (mean = 21.73 s, SD = 9.33).