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Chloramphenicol for the treatment of vancomycin-resistant enterococcal infections

A H Norris1, J P Reilly, P H Edelstein

  • 1Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, USA.

Clinical Infectious Diseases : an Official Publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America
|May 1, 1995
PubMed

Insights

Chloramphenicol effectively treated serious vancomycin-resistant enterococcal infections in a retrospective study. The drug was well-tolerated, showing clinical and microbiological improvement in most patients with these difficult-to-treat infections.

Area of Science:

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Pharmacology
  • Clinical Microbiology

Background:

  • Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) present a significant challenge in healthcare settings.
  • Limited therapeutic options exist for serious VRE infections.
  • Chloramphenicol remains a potential agent for specific VRE infections.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy and safety of chloramphenicol for treating serious vancomycin-resistant enterococcal infections.
  • To assess clinical and microbiological outcomes in patients treated with chloramphenicol.
  • To identify the spectrum of antimicrobial susceptibilities in VRE isolates.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective study design.
  • Review of 16 patients treated with chloramphenicol for VRE infections at a single medical center.
  • Analysis of antimicrobial susceptibilities, clinical course, adverse events, and treatment response.

Main Results:

  • 47% of VRE isolates were susceptible only to chloramphenicol, tetracycline, and nitrofurantoin.
  • Clinical improvement was observed in 57% of patients.
  • Microbiological cure (sterile cultures) was achieved in 73% of patients.
  • No lasting adverse effects related to chloramphenicol were reported.

Conclusions:

  • Chloramphenicol is a useful and well-tolerated therapeutic option for serious vancomycin-resistant enterococcal infections.
  • The drug demonstrates significant clinical and microbiological efficacy.
  • Susceptibility patterns highlight the importance of chloramphenicol in VRE treatment regimens.

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