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chloramphenicol

File:Chloramphenicol.svg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

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chloramphenicol

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Also known as Tevcocin, Mychel, Amphicol, Chloromycetin, Kernispray, Ophthochlor, Econochlor, Chlorofair

Chloramphenicol is an antibiotic useful for the treatment of a number of bacterial infections. This includes use as an eye ointment to treat conjunctivitis. By mouth or by injection into a vein, it is used to treat meningitis, plague, cholera, and typhoid fever. Its use by mouth or by injection is only recommended when safer antibiotics cannot be used. Monitoring both blood levels of the medication and blood cell levels every two days is recommended during treatment.

Key facts

Drug.Watchedfields
changed
Drug.verifiedrevid
443513464
Drug.image
Chloramphenicol.svg
Drug.image_class
skin-invert-image
Drug.image2
Chloramphenicol-from-xtal-3D-bs-17.png
Drug.image_class2
bg-transparent
Drug.tradename
Chloromycetin, Abeed, others
Drug.MedlinePlus
a608008
Drug.DailyMedID
Chloramphenicol
Drug.pregnancy_AU
A
Drug.routes_of_administration
Topical (eye drops), by mouth, intravenous, intramuscular
Drug.ATC_prefix
D06
Drug.ATC_suffix
AX02
Drug.ATC_supplemental
, , , , , ,
Drug.legal_AU
S3
Drug.legal_CA
Rx-only
Drug.legal_UK
P
Drug.legal_UK_comment
/ POM

via Wikipedia infobox

Chemical data

Formula
C11H12Cl2N2O5
Molecular weight
323.13 g/mol
IUPAC name
2,2-dichloro-N-[(1R,2R)-1,3-dihydroxy-1-(4-nitrophenyl)propan-2-yl]acetamide
SMILES
C1=CC(=CC=C1[C@H]([C@@H](CO)NC(=O)C(Cl)Cl)O)[N+](=O)[O-]
InChIKey
WIIZWVCIJKGZOK-RKDXNWHRSA-N
XLogP
1.1
Polar surface area
115 Ų
H-bond donors
3
H-bond acceptors
5
Formal charge
0

via PubChem

~17 min read

Encyclopedic overview

29 sections
Contents
  • Medical uses
  • Spectrum
  • Resistance
  • Adverse effects
  • Aplastic anemia
  • Bone marrow suppression
  • Leukemia
  • Gray baby syndrome
  • Hypersensitivity reactions
  • Neurotoxic reactions
  • Myelodysplastic Syndrome
  • Pharmacokinetics
  • Use in special populations
  • Dose monitoring
  • Drug interactions
  • Drug antagonistic
  • Drug synergism
  • Mechanism of action
  • History
  • Society and culture
  • Names
  • Formulations
  • Intravenous
  • Oily
  • Eye drops
  • Veterinary uses
  • Biosynthesis
  • Plasmid preparation
  • References

Chloramphenicol is an antibiotic useful for the treatment of a number of bacterial infections. This includes use as an eye ointment to treat conjunctivitis. By mouth or by injection into a vein, it is used to treat meningitis, plague, cholera, and typhoid fever. Its use by mouth or by injection is only recommended when safer antibiotics cannot be used. Monitoring both blood levels of the medication and blood cell levels every two days is recommended during treatment.

Common side effects include bone marrow suppression, nausea, and diarrhea. The bone marrow suppression may result in death. To reduce the risk of side effects treatment duration should be as short as possible. People with liver or kidney problems may need lower doses. In young infants, a condition known as gray baby syndrome may occur which results in a swollen stomach and low blood pressure. Its use near the end of pregnancy and during breastfeeding is typically not recommended. Chloramphenicol is a broad-spectrum antibiotic that typically stops bacterial growth by stopping the production of proteins.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “chloramphenicol” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

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