Biomaterial Database

Cure of Haemophilus parainfluenzae endocarditis with chloramphenicol. 1981

J Greenspan, and J T Noble, and M J Tenenbaum

Haemophilus parainfluenzae is an increasingly reported cause of infective endocarditis. In vitro studies have shown this organism to bae almost universally sensitive to chloramphenicol. However, therapy for H parainfluenzae endocarditis with chloramphenicol as a single agent has been disappointing. This has been attributed to the bacteriostatic activity of chloramphenicol, whereas bactericidal agents are essential for cure of infective endocarditis. We successfully treated a patient with H parainfluenzae endocarditis with chloramphenicol alone after in vitro testing showed chloramphenicol to be bactericidal against the organism. When it is documented that chloramphenicol has bactericidal activity against the causative organism, it alone can be effective therapy for H parainfluenzae endocarditis.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D002701	Chloramphenicol	An antibiotic first isolated from cultures of Streptomyces venequelae in 1947 but now produced synthetically. It has a relatively simple structure and was the first broad-spectrum antibiotic to be discovered. It acts by interfering with bacterial protein synthesis and is mainly bacteriostatic. (From Martindale, The Extra Pharmacopoeia, 29th ed, p106)	Cloranfenicol,Kloramfenikol,Levomycetin,Amphenicol,Amphenicols,Chlornitromycin,Chlorocid,Chloromycetin,Detreomycin,Ophthochlor,Syntomycin
D004697	Endocarditis, Bacterial	Inflammation of the ENDOCARDIUM caused by BACTERIA that entered the bloodstream. The strains of bacteria vary with predisposing factors, such as CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS; HEART VALVE DISEASES; HEART VALVE PROSTHESIS IMPLANTATION; or intravenous drug use.	Bacterial Endocarditides,Bacterial Endocarditis,Endocarditides, Bacterial
D006192	Haemophilus Infections	Infections with bacteria of the genus HAEMOPHILUS.	Hemophilus Infections,Haemophilus influenzae Infection,Haemophilus influenzae Type b Infection,Hib Infection,Infections, Haemophilus,Infections, Hemophilus,Haemophilus Infection,Haemophilus influenzae Infections,Hemophilus Infection,Hib Infections,Infection, Haemophilus,Infection, Haemophilus influenzae,Infection, Hemophilus,Infection, Hib
D006193	Haemophilus influenzae	A species of HAEMOPHILUS found on the mucous membranes of humans and a variety of animals. The species is further divided into biotypes I through VIII.	Bacterium influenzae,Coccobacillus pfeifferi,Haemophilus meningitidis,Hemophilus influenzae,Influenza-bacillus,Mycobacterium influenzae
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man