Chloramphenicol Toxicity

Abstract

SINCE the isolation of chloramphenicol from Streptomyces venezuelae in 1947 and its introduction into clinical use in 1948, numerous cases of untoward hematologic effects have been recorded. Animal trials and early clinical use apparently indicated no dangerous side effects although, in 1949, Smadel¹ made what has become an often quoted statement: "The presence of the nitrobenzene radical in the structure of chloramphenicol led to the suspicion that the drug might be toxic for the hematopoietic system." Indeed, in 1950 the first reported case of aplastic anemia in association with chloramphenicol therapy appeared,² and in 1952 some ten papers reported a . . .