CLOZAPINE INDUCED THROMBOCYTOPENIA - A BLOOD DYSCRASIA.
Noel M Isaac*, Mini Johnson Christudas and Dr. Umesh M
ABSTRACT
Noel M Isaac*, Mini Johnson Christudas and Dr. Umesh M
Pharmd Intern, Department of Pharmacy Practice, JSS Medical College and Hospital, JSS
University, Mysore- 570 004, Karnataka, India.
ABSTRACT
The term “Blood Dyscrasia” refers to a diseased state of blood which
may be induced by either a disease condition or with drug use. It is
assumed that drug induced hematologic changes may be due to the
interference of the drug with hematopoiesis in the bone marrow
affecting one, two or all three major cell lines of hematopoiesis.
Antipsychotic class of drugs was primarily found to induce leukopenia
as a common blood dyscrasia with clozapine having the highest risk.
Although data associating clozapine and leucopenia is available, data
regarding that of thrombocytopenia is limited. In our study,
thrombocytopenia was observed within 2 weeks of therapy with
clozapine at a dose of 150mg/day. Since a reduction in dose did not
show any improvements in the platelet count, clozapine was eventually
stopped. Within a month of withdrawing clozapine, the platelet count gradually began to
improve. Therefore, an association of the reaction with the drug should be thought of as a
possible cause prior to the initiation of therapy with clozapine, and, besides monitoring the
leucocyte count of patients receiving clozapine, the platelet count of these patients should
also be monitored.
Keywords: Blood dyscrasias, Clozapine, Thrombocytopenia.
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