Syndrome #3
Four Potentially Fatal Syndromes Due to Psychotropic Drugs Requiring Emergency Medical Care:
Agranulocytosis and Clozapine:
Agranulocytosis is an extremely low White Blood Cell Count (i.e., less than 1,000, or a sudden severe drop in White Blood Cells). People with low White Cell count are susceptible to infections. There have been fatalities related to infections.
Precautions:
Weekly blood draw to check White Blood Cell (WBC) count. If the WBC drops below 2,000, Clozapine (Clozaril) is discontinued and never given to the person again.