RRB Nsg. Superintendent 21 July 2019 (shift 1st)
Mental Health Nursing
Medium
What are the immediate side effects of Electroconvulsive therapy, except?
Appeared in: RRB Nsg. Superintendent 21 July 2019 (shift 1st)
Explanation
- Extensive research and clinical evidence confirm that ECT does not cause structural brain damage.
- While memory loss is a known side effect, it is typically temporary (transient), involving events around the treatment period, and usually resolves within weeks to months.
- The notion of permanent, widespread memory loss and brain damage is a common misconception, not a clinical reality of modern ECT.
Why Other Options Were Wrong
- Option A: This is incorrect because temporary memory loss and confusion are the most common and expected immediate side effects following an ECT procedure.
- Option B: This is incorrect because fractures and dislocations are a potential, though now very rare, complication of ECT, historically associated with unmodified procedures.
- Option C: This is incorrect because myocardial infarction and cardiac arrest are recognized as rare but serious potential cardiovascular complications due to the hemodynamic stress induced by the seizure.
Related Visual
- Visual 1: Diagram: Comparison of electrode placements for ECT (Bilateral, Unilateral, Bifrontal) and their associated cognitive side effect profiles.
- Visual 2: Flowchart: Nursing workflow for a patient undergoing ECT, from pre-procedure checks to post-procedure recovery and monitoring.
Clinical Relevance
- Nursing practice connection: Knowing Adverse Effects of Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
- A key nursing role is patient education to dispel myths about ECT, such as the fear of permanent brain damage, to ensure informed consent and reduce anxiety.
- Nurses must perform diligent pre-procedure assessment for cardiovascular and musculoskeletal risks and post-procedure monitoring for confusion, headache, and memory deficits.
- What if? If a patient has severe osteoporosis, the risk of fracture (Option B) becomes more significant, requiring careful consideration of muscle relaxant dosage and communication with the treatment team.
How to Approach the Question
- First, identify the negative framing of the question ('except'). This means you are looking for the option that is FALSE or does not belong.
- Recall the known side effects of ECT. Categorize them into common/temporary vs. rare/serious vs. historical/mythical.
- Evaluate Option A: Temporary memory loss is a hallmark side effect. This is a true statement about ECT.
- Evaluate Option B & C: Fractures and MI are known serious, though rare, complications. These are plausible true statements about ECT risks.
- Evaluate Option D: 'Permanent memory loss and brain damage' is a major misconception and is widely refuted in modern medical literature. This is the most likely FALSE statement and thus the answer to the 'except' question.
Concept Tested & Keywords
- Concept Tested: Adverse Effects of Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)
- Stem keywords: Electroconvulsive therapy, ECT, immediate side effects
- Lead-in keywords: except
- Negative lead-in flag: The question asks for the option that is NOT a side effect of ECT.
Question ID
QTGkwuzazsGFhLRlg58InR
Practise the full RRB Nsg. Superintendent 21 July 2019 (shift 1st)
Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.
More Treatment modalities and therapies used in mental disorders Questions
- Based on the knowledge of electroconvulsive treatment, the nurse explains to the student nurses that atropine is given before the treatment primarily…
- Modified ECT is not given frequently on routine practice because of:
- What is the difference in regular ECT and modified ECT?
- The following are the indications of electroconvulsive therapy; EXCEPT:
- The absolute contraindication for electroconvulsive therapy is:-
- Nurse attending to a patient receiving electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in a psychiatry department should ensure the compliance of all of the followin…
- \ \ \ \ \ \ is a family therapy approach that focuses on both the biological and the psychosocial components of a problem?
- The techniques of psychoanalysis include the following, EXCEPT?
- Which of the following is NOT true regarding Brief Cognitive Therapy?
- Which of the following equipment should be kept ready to use before ECT?
More RRB Nsg. Superintendent 21 July 2019 (shift 1st) Questions
- In domestic water sewage, which of the following things is not a part of 'Dissolved materials'?
- What nutrient deficiency causes goiter?
- Which is the process of assigning specific duties?
- Which structures act as wires of a telephone in the body?
- In India, which of the following States has the highest number of National Parks?
- What is the symbol of the element Gallium?
- Which AV block is also referred to as Mobitz-II?
- Osmotic pressure and acid-base balance of body fluids are maintained by?
- Which is the most suitable position for giving an enema?
- What is the SI unit of electric field strength?