Question
My son currently has a sore throat with no fever. On the 6th of this month, he took a sugar pill, and on the 13th, he received a flu vaccine. Today, during a blood test, the doctor said he has granulocytopenia with a neutrophil percentage of L8.9%. The doctor said it’s severely low. What is going on?
Answer
Granulocytopenia can be secondary to drug reactions, chemical poisoning, ionizing radiation, infection (including viral infection), or immune diseases. It can also be of unknown cause. However, the most common causes are drug reactions and viral infections. Severe cases can be accompanied by toxic encephalopathy or central nervous system infection, presenting with headaches, nausea, vomiting, and consciousness disorders. In extreme cases, it can lead to coma. It is important to actively seek the cause and then provide appropriate treatment.