Question

Your patient has just received his sixth electroconvulsant therapy outpatient treatment. He tells you that he plans to drive himself home because his wife is working at her part-time job today. What is your best response?

1) Be careful and drive slowly.
2) You need to wait 30 minutes and then you will be safe to drive.
3) Let me take your vital signs; if they are stable, then you can drive.
4) You cannot drive. I can call you a cab, or would you prefer to call your wife or someone for a ride home?

Answer 1

The best response is to tell the patient, "You cannot drive," and to offer to arrange a cab or suggest that they contact a family member for a ride, to ensure safe transportation home after electroconvulsant therapy.

Step-by-step explanation:

The best response to a patient who has received electroconvulsant therapy (ECT) and wants to drive home is: "You cannot drive. I can call you a cab, or would you prefer to call your wife or someone for a ride home?"

Post-ECT, patients often experience temporary memory loss, confusion, and disorientation. Additionally, the treatment can impact reflexes and attention for a short period afterward. These side effects can make it dangerous for the patient to drive or operate heavy machinery immediately following treatment. Medical professionals typically advise patients to arrange for someone else to drive them home after receiving ECT. This advice is made with patient safety as the top priority, to ensure they get home safely without posing a risk to themselves or others on the road.