Nonfatal pulmonary embolus associated with clozapine treatment: a case series

Clozapine is a tricyclic dibenzodiazepine efficacious in the management of treatment-resistant chronic schizophrenia. Although case reports of arrhythmias and cardiomyositis have been reported with clozapine use, severe acute cardiovascular side effects (SE) tend to be rare in clozapine treatment. The author reports on a case series of three patients treated with clozapine on a long-term inpatient unit that developed nonfatal pulmonary emboli (PE) and deep venous thrombosis (DVT). While not a contraindication, potential increased PE risk should be discussed with initiation of clozapine treatment.