Case Report: Clopidogrel-induced neutropenia

Kelly Hawkes, Joseph Suttie

Introduction

Clopidogrel is a widely used anti-platelet agent used in the prevention and treatment of ischemic vascular disease. Given its popularity, it’s important to be aware of a rare but significant adverse reaction, clopidogrel-associated neutropenia. This is the case of an 87 year old male who was medically managed with intravenous heparin and clopidogrel following a presentation of chest pain. Sixteen days later he was readmitted with bacteraemia and profound neutropenia following a normal neutrophil count two weeks earlier. Given the temporal association with clopidogrel administration and the compelling evidence of a similar episode two years prior, it was hypothesised to be a case of clopidogrel-associated neutropenia and a valuable reminder to be aware of such complications.