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The Effects of Electric Convulsive Treatments on Nitrogen, Calcium, and Phosphorus Metabolism in Psychiatric Patients

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 February 2018

Frederic F. Flach
Affiliation:
From the Department of Psychiatry, Cornell University Medical College and the Payne Whitney Clinic of the New York Hospital, New York, N. Y.
Edward Liang
Affiliation:
From the Department of Psychiatry, Cornell University Medical College and the Payne Whitney Clinic of the New York Hospital, New York, N. Y.
Peter E. Stokes
Affiliation:
From the Department of Psychiatry, Cornell University Medical College and the Payne Whitney Clinic of the New York Hospital, New York, N. Y.

Extract

This investigation was designed to determine whether significant alterations in the metabolism of nitrogen, calcium, and phosphorus occur in psychiatric patients during the therapeutic administration of electric convulsive treatments. Gour and Chaudhry (1) observed transient changes in serum calcium following grand mal convulsions in a series of patients. Jarvie and Mulligan (2), repeating this experiment in patients receiving muscular relaxants during the administration of E.C.T., failed to demonstrate similar calcium changes. More intimate knowledge of electrolyte metabolism can be obtained by means of balance techniques (3), whereby the degree of retention or loss of a particular substance can be ascertained by maintaining each patient on a constant daily intake and regularly determining the urinary and stool excretion of that substance.

Type
Original Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1960 

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References

1. Gour, K. N., and Chaudhry, H. M., “Study of calcium metabolism in electric convulsive therapy (E.C.T.) in certain mental diseases”, J. Ment. Sci., 1957, 103, 275.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
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