Open AccessClozapine-induced bicytopenia: An unusual side effect
Author(s) -
Abhijeet Faye,
Vivek Kirpekar,
Rahul Tadke,
Sushil Gawande,
Sudhir Bhave
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
indian journal of pharmacology/the indian journal of pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.286
H-Index - 59
eISSN - 1998-3751
pISSN - 0253-7613
DOI - 10.4103/ijp.ijp_686_17
Subject(s) - clozapine , dyscrasia , pancytopenia , medicine , side effect (computer science) , neutropenia , leukopenia , intensive care unit , toxicity , intensive care medicine , schizophrenia (object oriented programming) , bone marrow , psychiatry , plasma cell , computer science , programming language
Agranulocytosis is a rare documented side effect of clozapine which can be associated with grave consequences. When it is associated with other blood dyscrasia, prognosis worsens further. In literature, there are very few cases of pancytopenia and bicytopenia caused by clozapine. We present a case of bicytopenia (reduced white and red blood cells' counts) caused by clozapine within a month of therapy and complicated by a Klebsiella pneumoniae infection. Patient improved in 3 weeks after stopping clozapine along with medical management in the Intensive Care Unit. Such side effects, though rare, can be life threatening and warrants intermittent complete blood monitoring besides regular assessment of granulocytes and neutrophils when any patient is prescribed clozapine.