General anesthesia and long term psychotropic treatments
Plenat, M.; Moulinoux, C.; Coudert, A.J.; Porot, M.
L'Encephale 4(4): 341-348
1978
ISSN/ISBN: 0013-7006 PMID: 105865 Document Number: 135242
Anesthesists often ask for withdrawal of psychotropic treatment a few days before surgery. Usually they do not differentiate among the various classes of psychotropic drugs. Some drugs, including MAO inhibitors and reserpine-like agents, can induce or precipitate accidents; however, this does not occur with other types of antidepressants, neuroleptics and minor tranquilizers. The authors review the psychiatric risks related to such withdrawals; these risks are to be considered. They report that in 8,210 ECT under general anesthesia (among which 5,688 were done without psychotropic withdrawal) there was no occurrence of severe accidents.