The Annals Holiday Offer - Save 50%
home help contact us subscription past issues search current issue
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     


Published Online, 4 September 2007, www.theannals.com, DOI 10.1345/aph.1K126.
 The Annals of Pharmacotherapy: Vol. 41, No. 10, pp. 1700-1704. DOI 10.1345/aph.1K126
© 2007 Harvey Whitney Books Company.
This Article
Right arrow Résumé Freely available
Right arrow Extracto Freely available
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow PDF
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Articles Ahead of Print
Right arrow [Order Reprint]
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Lowe, C. M.
Right arrow Articles by Scates, A. C
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Lowe, C. M.
Right arrow Articles by Scates, A. C

DRUG INFORMATION ROUNDS

Characterization and Clinical Management of Clozapine-Induced Fever

Carolina Molina Lowe, PharmD

at time of writing, Drug Information Specialty Resident, Department of Pharmacy, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC; Medical Information Department, GlaxoSmithKline, Research Triangle Park, NC; now, Medical Information Specialist, Medical Information Department, GlaxoSmithKline

Rebekah R Arthur Grube, PharmD BCPS

Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice, Campbell University School of Pharmacy; Clinical Pharmacist, Internal Medicine/Psychiatry, Duke University Medical Center

Ann C Scates, PharmD

Drug Information Specialist, Duke University Medical Center

Reprints: Dr. Lowe, GlaxoSmithKline, 5 Moore Dr., Sanders Building, Mailstop 17.1161C, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, fax 919/315-3081, carolina.m.lowe{at}gsk.com

OBJECTIVE: To characterize clozapine-induced fever and suggest clinically relevant management recommendations.

DATA SOURCES: Literature was accessed through MEDLINE (1966-June 2007) using the terms clozapine, fever, and adverse effects. In addition, reference citations from publications identified were reviewed.

STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION: All English-language articles about human studies of fever associated with the use of clozapine were evaluated.

DATA SYNTHESIS: Mild to high-grade fever frequently accompanies clozapine therapy. Fever usually occurs within 10-15 days after treatment initiation and has been reported to last between 2 and 4 days. The mechanism and clinical implications of clozapine-induced fever are unclear. The primary concern for clinicians, with regard to these fevers, is the possibility of 2 serious conditions: agranulocytosis with infection or neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS). However, the presence of fever during clozapine therapy does not appear to predict agranulocytosis, NMS, or an increased rate of drug discontinuation at 1 year.

CONCLUSIONS: Available data suggest that clozapine-induced fevers are benign; once infectious and other medical causes for fever are ruled out, clozapine therapy can be continued.

Key Words: antipsychotic, clozapine, fever

Published Online, September 4, 2007. www.theannals.com, DOI 10.1345/aph.1K126


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 The Annals of PharmacotherapyHome page
I. Kohen, N. Afzal, S. Hussain, and P. Manu
Increases in C-Reactive Protein May Predict Recurrence of Clozapine-Induced Fever
Ann. Pharmacother., January 1, 2009; 43(1): 143 - 146.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


homecopy help contact us subscription past issues search current issue
Copyright © 2007 by Harvey Whitney Books Company.