Disseminated intravascular coagulation associated with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor therapy in a child with human immunodeficiency virus infection.

Abstract

We report a case of disseminated intravascular coagulopathy, apparently caused by exposure to granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF). The medical records of patients treated for more than 30 consecutive days with subcutaneously administered G-CSF were reviewed for the occurrence of thrombocytopenia or coagulation abnormalities. New-onset thrombocytopenia with a platelet count less than 100 x 10(9) cells/L (< 100,000 cells/mm3) developed in 9 of 23 patients (39%) after a median of 11 weeks of treatment with G-CSF at dosages between 1 and 10 micrograms/kg per day.