The nurse has been asked to explain electroconvulsive therapy to a client and his family. Which of the following statements made by the nurse is most accurate?

Question

A) "You will need to receive treatment twice a week for several years to prevent relapse."
B) "A tapering schedule may be used to end your treatments to prevent rehospitalization."
C) "If you show improvement after the treatment, your previous symptoms will not return."
D) "The entire procedure typically lasts between 15 and 20 minutes."

Answer 1

Ans: B
Feedback:
Typically ECT is given twice weekly on nonconsecutive days; treatments may range from a few to 15 sessions, depending on a client's response. The entire procedure lasts less than 1 hour, although each client's recovery time varies. When repeated episodes of depression or serious other life-threatening symptoms occur after a series of treatments with ECT, the physician may opt to taper ECT over several weeks to months. Typically, a tapering schedule is once a week for 1 month, once every 2 weeks for 2 months, once every 3 weeks for 2 months, and once every month for 2 to 4 months. This kind of tapering may help prevent rehospitalization. Occasionally, clients relapse and have to return for maintenance treatment.