THE USE OF ELECTROSHOCK THERAPY IN TREATING PSYCHIATRIC PATIENTS WITH ASSOCIATED PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS
HENRY P. CLOSE M. D.1
1 The Veterans Administration Hospital, Coatesville, Pa.
1. Cases in the literature of patients developing pulmonary tuberculosis following electroshock therapy have not been adequately controlled by x-ray and clinical studies to an extent warranting definite conclusions.
2. Electroshock therapy was not found to be associated with the development of pulmonary tuberculosis in psychotic patients.
3. Case reports are presented of 8 psychotic patients with associated active pulmonary tuberculosis who were treated with electroshock in an effort to ameliorate the psychotic symptoms so that proper therapy could be directed to the tuberculous lesion. All cases showed improvement in their tuberculosis which can be indirectly attributed to the shock therapy.
