Detection of Prolonged Seizures During Electroconvulsive Therapy: A Comparison of Electroencephalogram and Cuff Monitoring.

In a retrospective study of 1,223 electroconvulsive therapy seizures, the incidence of prolonged seizures (those with durations greater than 120 s) was 4.25%. Prolonged seizures are rarely reported. The author speculates that the higher incidence reported here may be secondary to the higher succinylcholine dosage (0.75-1.0 mg/kg) employed at this center. Electroencephalogram (EEG) and blood pressure cuff monitoring techniques are compared. EEG monitoring is found superior to cuff monitoring for the detection of prolonged seizures.