Agranulocytosis associated with aprindine and other antiarrhythmic drugs: an epidemiological approach.
The risk of agranulocytosis associated with anti-arrhythmic drugs has been assessed by studying previous drug exposure of all cases collected through a multicentre surveillance network in a defined geographical area during the period 1980-1988. One hundred and eighty-one patients with agranulocytosis (less than 500 granulocytes mm-3 at least in two different blood counts) were interviewed with a structured questionnaire. Eight cases attributable to anti-arrhythmic drugs were identified, all of them related to aprindine. Data on the consumption of several anti-arrhythmic drugs were identified, all of them related to aprindine. Data on the consumption of several anti-arrhythmic drugs (amiodarone, aprindine, quinidine, propafenone) were obtained in order to estimate the risk of agranulocytosis related with the previous use of these drugs. A relevant risk was identified only for aprindine, of the order of two cases per 1000 patient-years. Our data suggest that the risk of agranulocytosis associated with aprindine is lower than previously found.
Ibáñez
L
L
Servei de Farmacologia Clinica, CS Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.
Juan
J
J
Pérez
E
E
Carné
X
X
Laporte
J R
JR
D000368:Aged; D000380:Agranulocytosis / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D001073:Aprindine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D001073:Aprindine