RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Pericardial effusion in patients with schizophrenia: are they on clozapine?
JF Emergency Medicine Journal
JO Emerg Med J
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and the British Association for Accident & Emergency Medicine
SP 383
OP 384
DO 10.1136/emj.2007.056879
VO 25
IS 6
A1 P Raju
A1 G K Rao
A1 G Davis
YR 2008
UL http://emj.bmj.com/content/25/6/383.abstract
AB Clozapine is used in the treatment of resistant schizophrenia. It is used as a reserve drug mainly because of its adverse effect profile affecting gastrointestinal, haematological and cardiorespiratory systems. Cardiac side effects are uncommon but could be potentially life threatening, hence early recognition and active monitoring are essential to prevent serious cardiac side effects. A case of pericarditis with pericardial effusion is described in a patient who was recently started on clozapine which disappeared within 1 week after discontinuation of clozapine.