How often should white blood cell counts be monitored for a client on clozapine?

• A. Weekly or every 2 weeks
• B. Daily
• C. Biannually
• D. Annually

Answer: (A)

Regular white blood cell monitoring is essential when starting clozapine because it can cause agranulocytosis, a dangerous drop in immune cells that increases infection risk. To catch problems early, lab checks are done frequently at first: weekly, and can be spaced to every two weeks as the patient remains stable. Daily checks are unnecessary and impractical, while biannual or annual monitoring would miss dangerous drops in counts. A common plan is weekly testing for the first several months, then every two weeks, and finally monthly as long as clozapine is continued. With that in mind, checking white blood cell counts weekly or every two weeks represents the appropriate monitoring approach during treatment.