Postictal ventricular tachycardia after electroconvulsive therapy treatment associated with a lithium-duloxetine combination.

This report addresses the dilemma of continuing lithium prophylaxis and antidepressant therapy in view of cardiovascular adverse effects under electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in patients with a long history of recurrent affective disorders. A severely depressed 48-year-old woman who had been treated with lithium for 18 years developed a ventricular tachycardia during ECT. Possible interaction with succinylcholine was taken into account, and rocuronium was used as an alternative muscle relaxant.