Aspiration pneumonia associated with clozapine

Clozapine is effective in managing patients with treatment‐resistant schizophrenia. Clinicians who use this drug are generally well aware of the need to monitor patients for infrequent but well‐recognized and potentially life‐threatening adverse effects, such as agranulocytosis. Clozapine also has more common adverse effects that are generally considered to entail less medical risk, such as sialorrhea (excessive salivation). Some reports suggest a risk of aspiration pneumonia related to clozapine‐induced sialorrhea.1,2,3 A clinical report recently described an occurrence of aspiration pneumonia as a result of clozapine exposure.4
Source: The Brown University Psychopharmacology Update - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Tags: Drug ‐Drug Interactions Source Type: research