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Which one of the following is not a requirement for treatment with clozapine?

A. Baseline WBC count before starting treatment
B. Two WBC counts during the first 7 days of treatment
C. Weekly WBC count during the first 6 months of treatment
D. WBC count every 2 weeks after the first 6 months of treatment
E. WBC count every week for 4 weeks following discontinuation of clozapine

User Fussel
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1 Answer

2 votes

Final answer:

The false requirement for clozapine treatment is two WBC counts during the first 7 days of treatment. The usual monitoring includes weekly counts for the first six months, bi-weekly thereafter, with additional counts after discontinuation and careful monitoring during chemotherapy if an ANC is in a safe range.

Step-by-step explanation:

The requirement for treatment with clozapine that is not accurate is: B. Two WBC counts during the first 7 days of treatment. Clozapine is a medication with potentially severe side effects, including agranulocytosis (a dangerous decrease in the number of white blood cells), which necessitates a careful monitoring protocol. Typically, the actual requirements are a baseline WBC count before starting treatment, weekly WBC count during the first six months, a WBC count every two weeks after the first six months, and a WBC count every week for four weeks following discontinuation of clozapine.

An absolute neutrophil count (ANC) is a critical measurement in patients who are undergoing chemotherapy since a significantly low ANC can indicate an increased risk of infection. In the context given (with an ANC of 1900 cells per microliter), the patient's healthcare team would likely proceed with the chemotherapy treatment, as this count is considered within a typically acceptable range, indicating that the patient's immune system should be adequate to handle the treatment at that time.

For reference, CD4+ T cell counts are about 1,000 per microliter in a healthy person, but they drop below 400 per microliter in individuals who have a compromised ability to mount an immune response. These counts can be a clinical marker for immune function, particularly in the management of HIV infection.

User Roger Dahl
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