Agranulocytosis incidence is rare with most antipsychotics but is relatively higher with which drug?

• A. Clozapine
• B. Quetiapine
• C. Olanzapine
• D. Risperidone

Answer: (A)

Agranulocytosis is a dangerous drop in neutrophils that greatly increases infection risk. Among antipsychotics, this risk is notably higher with clozapine, which is why its use is paired with strict hematologic monitoring (baseline CBC with differential, then regular ANC checks). The other antipsychotics listed have much lower rates of agranulocytosis, so clozapine stands out as the drug with relatively higher incidence. Clozapine’s strong effectiveness for treatment-resistant schizophrenia makes monitoring essential, but without that monitoring the risk would be harder to manage. Therefore, the best answer is clozapine.