Statewide study of chloramphenicol therapy and fatal aplastic anemia

Fatal aplastic anemia is a rare disorder, occurring in two per million population each year. Death usually follows overwhelming infection or hemorrhage, or both. The course from onset of anemia to death is often only a few months. Fatal aplastic anemia appeared to be 13 times more frequent after the use of chloramphenicol. Anemia may not appear until the second or even third course of chloramphenicol therapy, and it is not related to dosage.