Abstract:
Chloramphenicol is regarded as an efficacious drug against typhoid fever but it has no healing property whatsoever. It is ineffective in carrier states especially the faecal carrier. In addition to the fact that chloramphenicol is superior to other drugs like tetracyclines, ampicillin (penbritin) it does not produce any resistant strains. The initial dose should be moderate, upper limit being 50 mg. per kg. body weight, lower initial doses of the order 1.52 gm per day (in adults) and the time interval should be 4-, 8- and 12- hourly. In children dose must not exceed 25 mg. per kg. body weight per day for premature and 50 mg per kg. in full term babies. The combinations of steroids with chloramphenicol and the treatment of complications of the disease are discussed. Toxic effects produced by its use are briefly mentioned. The urinary carriers can be treated with large doses of chloramphenicol (36 gm in 7 days) and hexamine. In biliary carriers, chloramphenicol is ineffective. Large doses of penicillin combined with other drugs have been recommended for it but now the only satisfactory treatment of chronic biliary carriers is cholecystectomy.
Page(s):
77-83
DOI:
DOI not available
Published:
Journal: Medicus, Volume: 24, Issue: 2, Year: 1962