ECT & heart dis: Anesth consid

External cardiac pacemaker function should not be affected by ECT because the current path is far from the heart. Patients with a history of CAD, CHF, and valvular heart disease may benefit from invasive monitoring to assess myocardial function and permit aggressive hemodynamic control.

Routine blunting of sympathetic nervous system responses by B-blockers is not recommended because severe bradycardia can occur.