Premium
Neuroleptic‐Induced Neutropenia in the Elderly
Author(s) -
Jurivich Donald A.,
Hanlon Joseph,
Andolsek Kathryn
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1987.tb02317.x
Subject(s) - medicine , neutropenia , intensive care medicine , gerontology , family medicine , chemotherapy
A case reported here of Haloperidol-induced neutropenia demonstrates one of many important drug reactions to which the elderly may be predisposed. Neuroleptics can lead to neutropenia by toxic or immunologic mechanisms, and it is impossible to predict which patients will sustain this potentially life-threatening reaction. Fever and infection may be the only clue to this blood dyscrasias. The diagnosis of drug-induced neutropenia is largely one of exclusion coupled with the observation of increasing neutrophil counts after cessation of the drug.