Chloramphenicol | Antibacterial, Antimicrobial, Bacteriostatic | Britannica (original) (raw)

chloramphenicol, antibiotic drug once commonly used in the treatment of infections caused by various bacteria, including those in the genera Rickettsia and Mycoplasma. Chloramphenicol was originally found as a product of the metabolism of the soil bacterium Streptomyces venezuelae (order Actinomycetales) and subsequently was synthesized chemically. It achieves its antibacterial effect by interfering with protein synthesis in these microorganisms. It is seldom used today, however, because of its potential toxicity and the availability of safer drugs.

Chloramphenicol has been important in the treatment of typhoid fever and other Salmonella infections. For many years chloramphenicol, in combination with ampicillin, was the treatment of choice for Haemophilus influenzae infections, including meningitis. Chloramphenicol is also useful in the treatment of pneumococcal or meningococcal meningitis in penicillin-allergic patients.

Chloramphenicol is administered either orally or parenterally (by injection or infusion), but since it is readily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, parenteral administration is reserved for serious infections.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kara Rogers.