O cloranfenicol é um antibiótico útil para o tratamento de uma série de infecções bacterianas. Isso inclui meningite, praga, cólera, e febre tifóide. Seu uso só é recomendado quando antibióticos mais seguros não podem ser usados. Recomenda-se monitorar os níveis sanguíneos do medicamento e os níveis de células sanguíneas a cada dois dias durante o tratamento., pela boca, e como pomada para os olhos.
The original indication of chloramphenicol was in the treatment of typhoid, but the now almost universal presence of multiple drug-resistant Salmonella typhi has meant it is seldom used for this indication except when the organism is known to be sensitive. Chloramphenicol may be used as a second-line agent in the treatment of tetracycline-resistant cholera.
Chloramphenicol is active against the three main bacterial causes of meningitis: Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Haemophilus influenzae. In the West, chloramphenicol remains the drug of choice in the treatment of meningitis in patients with severe penicillin or cephalosporin allergy and general practitioners are recommended to carry intravenous chloramphenicol in their bag. In low-income countries, the WHO recommend oily chloramphenicol as first-line to treat meningitis.
Although its use in veterinary medicine is highly restricted, chloramphenicol still has some important veterinary uses.It is currently considered the most useful treatment of chlamydial disease in koalas.The pharmacokinetics of chloramphenicol have been investigated in koalas.
