Serum Potassium Changes with E.c.t.

Serum potassium changes with direct E.C.T. and with modified E.C.T., given under three anaesthetic (thiopentone, diazepam and propanidid) and relaxant (suxamethonium) combinations were studied in 25 patients. Ten patients each, undergoing minor surgical procedures, acted as controls for these three combinations. Modified E.C.T. caused a rise in scram potassium, which, being highest at 3 minutes, was sustained well beyond 10 minutes. Direct E.C.T. caused maximum rise within one minute which, however, came down rapidly. The rise following modified E.C.T. was one and half times more compared to that occurring in controls given only drugs but not E.C.T., in all the three anaesthetic-relaxant combinations. The rise from pre-induction level was maximum following diazepam and minimum with propanidid, thiopentone falling in between. The rise from pre-relaxant level, on the other hand, was maximum with thiopentone and minimum with propanidid.