Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 19, 2026

Construction of Vapor Chambers Used to Expose Mice to Alcohol During the Equivalent of all Three Trimesters of Human Development
Published on: July 13, 2014
Haemolytic anaemia and thrombocytopenia following phenobarbital therapy for alcohol withdrawal
Sera Whitelaw1, Sumedha Arya2, Nicola Goldberg2
1University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Abstract:
Drug-induced immune haemolytic anaemia (DIIHA) is a rare but potentially life-threatening condition. Phenobarbital is increasingly used for the management of alcohol withdrawal; however, haematologic toxicity is infrequently reported. We describe a man in his 50s admitted for alcohol withdrawal who developed acute anaemia and thrombocytopenia shortly after initiation of phenobarbital. Laboratory findings were consistent with haemolysis, including undetectable haptoglobin and indirect hyperbilirubinaemia, although the direct antiglobulin test was negative. Alternative causes were excluded. Following discontinuation of phenobarbital, haematologic parameters improved rapidly. This case highlights a probable instance of phenobarbital-associated haemolysis with thrombocytopenia and emphasises the importance of recognising DIIHA even in the absence of a positive antiglobulin test.
Related Concept Videos
Sedatives and Hypnotics Drugs: Barbiturates
Drug toxicity: Idiosyncratic Reactions
Disorders of Hemostasis
Thromboembolic Disorders
Two factors primarily cause thromboembolic conditions.
Effect of Hepatic Disease on Pharmacokinetics: Pathophysiologic Assessment and Liver Function Test
Antiepileptic Drugs: GABAergic Pathway Potentiators
The key GABA pathway potentiators used in epilepsy management are as follows.
Benzodiazepines are a well-known class of drugs used for their...
CNS Depressants: Barbiturates and Benzodiazepines
