Chloramphenicol treatment revisited – demographics, clinical characteristics, and outcomes of hospitalized patients

Limited literature exists on chloramphenicol’s clinical use. In this retrospective, single-center case-series, we examined 183 chloramphenicol-treated and 81 piperacillin-tazobactam-treated medical patients. Chloramphenicol recipients were older, more debilitated, cognitively impaired, and penicillin allergic, while increased need for inotropics, higher leukocyte count, and higher creatinine levels were notable in the piperacillin-tazobactam group. Pneumonia was the most common indication, with no mortality difference between groups. While acknowledging its antimicrobial activity and potential benefit in specific conditions such as pneumonia, further clinical studies are needed to assess the role of chloramphenicol in the setting where other alternatives are available.