Reactions 1264 - 8 Aug 2009

SOctreotide

Thrombocytopenia: case reportA 53-year-old man developed acute, reversible

thrombocytopenia during treatment with octreotide[Sandostatin] for management of portal hypertension withupper gastrointestinal bleeding.

The man received an IV octreotide 50µg bolus, followedby 50 µg/h infusion. His platelet count had decreased to75 000/mm3 about 4 hours after bolus administration, anddespite multiple platelet transfusions, it dropped to4 000/mm3 over the next 50 hours. Octreotide was notsuspected as the cause of thrombocytopenia, and hecontinued to receive the octreotide infusion for a total of72 hours.

His platelet count gradually increased after theoctreotide infusion was discontinued, and he wasdischarged on hospital day 5 with a platelet count of28 000/mm3. He was readmitted to hospital 3 weeks later,with recurrent variceal bleeding. His platelet count was214 000/mm3.

The man inadvertently received octreotide, and hisplatelet count dropped to 89 000/mm3. Octreotide wasdiscontinued, and after discharge, his platelet countincreased to 221 000/mm3.

Author comment: "Our case is highly suggestive ofsandostatin as the etiology of drug-induced reversiblethrombocytopenia."Chisholm S, et al. Sandostatin causing reversible thrombocytopenia. EuropeanJournal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology 21: 474-475, No. 4, Apr 2009 -USA 801146868

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Reactions 8 Aug 2009 No. 12640114-9954/10/1264-0001/$14.95 © 2010 Adis Data Information BV. All rights reserved