A Controlled Double-Blind Study of the Hematologic Toxicity of Chloramphenicol

Abstract

ALTHOUGH well known as a cause of aplastic anemia,^{1 2 3 4} chloramphenicol (Chloromycetin) is used widely because of the rarity of this reaction and the clinical advantages of the antibiotic. However, the prolonged morbidity and high mortality of aplastic anemia⁴ make it important that the reaction be prevented. Further definition of the toxicology of the drug may help accomplish this.Previous investigations have thoroughly characterized a mild, reversible form of bone-marrow depression produced by chloramphenicol in patients with infectious processes,⁵ accelerated erythropoiesis⁶ and even normal subjects given sufficiently large doses.⁷ The present study attempts to define further the relation of dosage to . . .