GLP-1tirzepatideectanesthesiaaspiration risk

Case report describes pre-ECT fasting protocol for patient on tirzepatide

A 24-year-old protocol change let a patient with refractory major depression complete 17 electroconvulsive therapy sessions on tirzepatide without aspiration complications.

By Maren Holt · Senior Reporter, GLP-1

Oct 7 20:00 ETSource: The journal of ECT

The wire

01ECT and anesthesia leadership at the reporting center built a pre-ECT fasting protocol for patients on GLP-1 receptor agonists; one patient with refractory major depressive disorder on tirzepatide completed 17 treatments without complications.
02ECT is usually done under general anesthesia without a secured airway, so delayed gastric emptying from incretin drugs raises aspiration risk; standard alternatives are every-other-day clear-liquid diets or frequent rapid sequence intubation.
03This is a single case report in The Journal of ECT, not a validated protocol; the authors do not provide comparative outcome data across patients.

From the source

Navigating Electroconvulsive Therapy in Patients on GLP-1 Receptor Agonists: Balancing Safety, Compliance, and Treatment Consistency: A Case Report
The journal of ECT · 2026 Oct 8 · Fitzmartin K, James C, Selzer AR et al.

Read at pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Source URL https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42844676/