Evaluation of Chloramphenicol and Ampicillin in Salmonella Enteric Fever

Abstract

The relative efficacy of chloramphenicol and ampicillin, given by mouth both separately and simultaneously, was studied in 289 patients with either salmonella enteric fever or nonspecific enteric fever. Bone-marrow culture was the most sensitive diagnostic tool. Ampicillin was effective in 77 per cent of the acute cases of salmonella enteric fever treated, whereas chloramphenicol and combined therapy were effective in all such cases treated. The two groups given ampicillin had fewer relapses and carriers than the chloramphenicol group. In the acute cases of nonspecific enteric fever each drug regimen worked equally well, with no treatment failures, relapses or carriers. Overt hemolytic anemias occurred in three chloramphenicol-treated typhoid patients who were also deficient in G-6-PD. There was only one classic typhoidal complication and no mortality. It is concluded that chloramphenicol remains the most effective drug in oral treatment of acute salmonella enteric fever and that ampicillin is an effective alternative drug.