Fatal Cardiovascular Collapse of Infants Receiving Large Amounts of Chloramphenicol

Death of three newborn infants (without obvious immediate cause of death at necropsy) followed administration of moderately large amounts of chloramphenicol. The recommended intramuscular dose of the microcrystalline suspension of chloramphenicol in aqueous vehicle was 100 to 150 mg. per kilogram of body weight per day for children of 15 kg. or less.¹⁻³One death occurred after administration of 220 mg. per kilogram per day for 60 hours. Another death occurred after administration of 230 mg. per kilogram per day for 72 hours. The recommended oral dose of the suspension of chloramphenicol palmitate for children of 15 kg. or less was 50 to 100 mg. per kilogram per day⁴up to 100 to 150 mg. per kg. per day.³,⁵One death occurred after 50 mg. per kilogram per day for 56 hours and 10 hours after a single inadvertent oral dose of 400 mg. The use of