Abdul Muqtadir Abbasi: Medicine residents lets learn the use and contraindication of using GCSF

Abdul Muqtadir Abbasi, Hematologist at KFSHRC Madinah, posted on X/Twitter:

“Filgastrim/GCSF/Nupogen …
Is it a solution for every neutropenia? Can you give it in any patient who comes under any service who has neutropenia. Medicine residents lets learn the use and contraindication of using gcsf. Lets start.
Use of GCSF may lead to thrombocytopenia. Beware.

Lets start….

Use of GCSF with bleomycin may cause increased pulmonary toxicity (controversial but if its an mcq yes).

Main purpose of gcsf is to have early neutrophil count recovery in patients at risk of febrile neutropenia. Avoid your best to not give gcsf in active acute leukemia patient (lymphoid) and never give in active acute myeloid leukemia patient, otherwise the only thing you will promote is leukemia.

If you see a patient on medicine floor with neutropenia and having infection, there is no problem in giving a stat dose or two to increase neutrophil count. It will help.

Can it cause hematological malignancy in a normal indivisual? We cannot rule out 100%, specially in a susceptible population, but overall the data supporting anything like this is almost negligible. Theoretically avoid unnecessary use.

Gcsf has a vital role in recovery of mucositis post chemotherapy in neutropenic population.

In short, dont be afraid in using gcsf in setting of neutropenia associated with complications like infection to speed up recovery. A general adult dose is 5mcg/kg or a stat 300mcg sc or IV.”

Source: Abdul Muqtadir Abbasi/X