title: Agranulocytosis associated with initiation of famotidine therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report a case of agranulocytosis associated with initiation of famotidine.
  
  
  METHODS
  An 87-year-old white man was admitted to the internal medicine department of an acute care hospital because of fever and agranulocytosis (granulocyte count 0). Eight days prior to admission, famotidine therapy had been initiated. Famotidine was discontinued and granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor was administered, with concomitant recovery of the granulocyte count and subsequent development of a leukemoid reaction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  According to the Naranjo probability scale, famotidine was the probable cause of agranulocytosis. This is a rare adverse effect of this medication; only a few other cases have been reported.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although agranulocytosis is a rare adverse effect of famotidine, the pharmacist and physician should be aware of this potentially fatal event. If any patient treated with famotidine develops fever, the clinician should consider, among other things, performing a white blood cell count.
authors.affiliation: Acute Geriatric Department, Herzog Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel. elm@inter.net.il
authors.forename: Esther-Lee
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Marcus
authors.forename: A Mark
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Clarfield
authors.forename: Yosef
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kleinman
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bits
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Darmon
authors.forename: Nael
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Da'as
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000380:Agranulocytosis / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced*; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D003873:Dermatitis, Exfoliative / Q000188:drug therapy; D015738:Famotidine / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D015738:Famotidine