Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 28, 2025

Busulfan as a Myelosuppressive Agent for Generating Stable High-level Bone Marrow Chimerism in Mice
11:25

Busulfan as a Myelosuppressive Agent for Generating Stable High-level Bone Marrow Chimerism in Mice

Published on: April 1, 2015

13.7K

Paediatric Agranulocytosis Associated with Metamizole Treatment

Ömer Kılıç1, Merve İşeri Nepesov2, Hasan Bora Ulukapı3

  • 1Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Eskişehir Osmangazi University Medical Faculty, Eskişehir, Turkey. omerkilic7@yahoo.com.

Paediatric Drugs
|November 28, 2020
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Metamizole can cause agranulocytosis, a serious condition affecting neutrophil counts, in children. This side effect necessitates careful consideration of alternative fever treatments due to prolonged hospital stays and potential complications.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Infectious Diseases
  • Pediatric Hematology
  • Pharmacovigilance

Background:

  • Metamizole is an antipyretic and analgesic medication.
  • It is often used for pediatric fever unresponsive to paracetamol.
  • A significant side effect is dose-independent myelotoxicity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To present clinical features of pediatric patients with agranulocytosis post-metamizole.
  • To highlight the risk of metamizole-induced agranulocytosis in children.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of 12 pediatric patients.
  • Patients diagnosed with secondary agranulocytosis due to metamizole use.
  • Data collected from January 2015 to December 2018.

Main Results:

  • All 12 patients received oral metamizole for fever.
  • Mean absolute neutrophil count was 225/mm³; 11 patients had < 500/mm³.
  • Average hospitalization was 9.92 days; treatments included antibiotics, IVIG, G-CSF, and methylprednisolone.

Conclusions:

  • Metamizole-induced agranulocytosis leads to extended hospitalization and requires medical intervention.
  • Alternative antipyretic options should be prioritized over metamizole in pediatric care.
  • The risk profile of metamizole warrants caution in its use as a first-line treatment.

More Related Videos

Intracellular Phosphoflow Cytometry of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patient-Derived Xenotransplants07:38

Intracellular Phosphoflow Cytometry of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patient-Derived Xenotransplants

Published on: June 6, 2025

462
Proliferation and Differentiation of Murine Myeloid Precursor 32D/G-CSF-R Cells10:21

Proliferation and Differentiation of Murine Myeloid Precursor 32D/G-CSF-R Cells

Published on: February 21, 2018

10.2K

Related Concept Videos

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Metabolism01:24

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Metabolism

In pediatric care, understanding the nuances of hepatic drug metabolism is crucial, as it significantly differs from that of adults. This divergence is primarily due to the developmental stage of drug-metabolizing enzymes, which affects how medications are processed in the body. In neonates, for instance, the activity of Phase I enzymes—critical for the initial breakdown of drugs—is markedly reduced, functioning at just 20–40% of the levels seen in adults. This reduction poses...
93
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion01:26

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion

In pediatric medicine, understanding the renal function and drug elimination nuances is crucial for administering safe and effective treatments. Newborns, in particular, display markedly slower renal functions than adults, profoundly affecting how drugs are cleared from their bodies. This slower drug clearance requires clinicians to extend the dosing intervals for many medications to prevent drug accumulation and toxicity while ensuring therapeutic efficacy.One key area where these adjustments...
117
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption01:23

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption

Understanding the physiological differences in the pediatric population is crucial for effective pharmacotherapy. Neonates, infants, and children exhibit significant variations in gastric pH, gastric emptying time, intestinal transit time, and biliary function. These variations profoundly affect oral drug absorption, necessitating a nuanced approach to pediatric dosing.Neonates present with a unique physiological profile, having a gastric pH greater than 4 and faster and more irregular gastric...
121
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Distribution01:17

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Distribution

Drug distribution in the pediatric population exhibits unique challenges and considerations due to the physiological differences between children, particularly neonates and infants, and adults. A crucial aspect of pediatric pharmacology is understanding how these differences impact the pharmacokinetics of various drugs, necessitating age-specific dosing strategies to ensure efficacy and safety.Neonates and infants have a higher total body water content, ~75%–90% of their body weight,...
141
Drugs for Treatment of Crohn's Disease in IBD Using Immunomodulatory Agents01:29

Drugs for Treatment of Crohn's Disease in IBD Using Immunomodulatory Agents

Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disorder marked by chronic inflammation of the GI tract. Various treatment strategies for Crohn's disease are employed, such as immunomodulatory agents, glucocorticoids, and biologics or anti-TNF therapy. Azathioprine (Imuran), a commonly used immunomodulatory drug for Crohn's disease, is converted in the body to mercaptopurine, which inhibits purine biosynthesis and cell proliferation. Both are utilized in severe cases of Inflammatory Bowel...
337
Inborn Errors of Metabolism01:20

Inborn Errors of Metabolism

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a protein metabolism disorder characterized by high blood levels of the amino acid phenylalanine. This results from a mutation in the gene responsible for phenylalanine hydroxylase, an enzyme that converts phenylalanine into tyrosine. When this enzyme is deficient, phenylalanine builds up in the blood, leading to symptoms such as vomiting, rashes, seizures, growth deficiency, and severe mental retardation. An early diagnosis and a diet restricting phenylalanine intake...
578