Drug-Induced Blood Dyscrasia in Okinawa

Abstract

Forty one cases of drug-induced blood dyscrasia were seen in the last 10 years in six main hospitals in Okinawa. There were 16 males and 25 females. The average age was 53 year-old. The anticonvulsants were the most common causative drugs (12 cases), followed by the antithyroid drugs (6 cases) and Co-trimoxazole (4 cases). The granulocytopenia was the most common type of blood dyscrasia, comprising 51.0% of all cases. Phenytoin was the most common anticonvulsant (8 cases) and 6 cases received it as a prophylaxis following craniotomy. Three cases of antithyroid drug-induced granulocytopenia developed this complication after readministration of the antithyroid drugs. The intervals between the administation of causative drugs and the onset of blood dyscrasia were less than 3 months, excepet for α-methyldopa, gold, and chlorpromazine. Although 30 cases (73.0%) showed complete recovery, there were 3 fatalities (3.0%) which included bicytopenia due to sodium valproate, aplastic anemia due to Co-trimoxazole, and pure red cell aplasia due to aspirin. It is suggested from this study that drug-induced blood dyscrasia is not uncommon in Okinawa.