Febrile reaction with elevated CPK after a single electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in an adolescent patient with severe bipolar disorder

This report describes the electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) course of a 15-year-old male with severe bipolar disorder unresponsive to medical management. After his first treatment, the patient exhibited fever, elevated creatine phosphokinase levels, and leukocytosis. Treatment was halted although the patient reported an improvement in symptoms, which was not maintained with pharmacotherapy alone. Subsequent treatments were completed without adverse reactions, and the patient entered remission. We discuss the possible causes of this reaction and remind the reader that a single adverse event does not always require the abandonment of a treatment modality.