Electroconvulsive therapy in a catatonic patient with clavicle fracture

Abstract

Karl Kahlbaum defined catatonia in cases of schizophrenia that had firstly ecopraxia, fluctuating stupor, negativism, posturing, stereotypy, automatic obedience, and mannerism. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and benzodiazepines (BZ) are the effective treatment options in catatonia. Vertebral and long-bone fractures were common in ECT and ECT had a relative contraindication in patients with bone disease before the routine usage of muscle relaxants in ECT. Despite a reduction of the risk with modern ECT procedures psychiatrist's concerns and fears about this issue are ongoing. ECT has been successfully performed in bone fractured and damaged patients. In this case report we presented a patient who had a clavicle fracture due to a traffic accident and simultaneously diagnosed with catatonia and had successfully treated with ECT and BZ.