Drug-induced Hemolysis in G6PD Deficiency: an Unusual Presentation of a Common Clinical Condition

Padakanti, Anudeep; Shenoy, Ashok; Kamath, Ashwin; Chakrapani, Mahabala

doi:10.14712/18059694.2020.7

Acta Medica > Archive > 2019, Vol. 62 > Issue 4 > Drug-induced Hemolysis in G6PD…

Acta Med. 2019, 62: 166-169

https://doi.org/10.14712/18059694.2020.7

Drug-induced Hemolysis in G6PD Deficiency: an Unusual Presentation of a Common Clinical Condition

Anudeep Padakanti^a, Ashok Shenoy^b, Ashwin Kamath^b, Mahabala Chakrapani^a

^aDepartment of Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India
^bDepartment of Pharmacology, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India

Received March 24, 2019
Accepted October 2, 2019

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency can present a diagnostic dilemma owing to the varying degrees of disease severity and the wide range of precipitating factors. Here, we report a case of a 56-year-old man who presented with signs and symptoms of heart failure and, during the course of treatment, developed intravascular hemolysis. On investigation, he was found to be G6PD deficient. Following discontinuation of the fixed-dose combination of isosorbide dinitrate and hydralazine, the clinical condition of the patient improved, and there were no further episodes of hemolysis. The case highlights the need for a high degree of suspicion of G6PD deficiency in patients with unexplained signs and symptoms of intravascular hemolysis.