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Other brands with the same active ingredient
These brands contain the same active ingredient (Chloramphenicol). Strength and form may differ — confirm substitution with your doctor or pharmacist before switching.
Indications & Uses
Ramicol is an antibiotic that has a specific, limited role: it's meant for serious infections caused by organisms that respond to it, and only when safer treatment options either won't work or can't be used. That said, a doctor may still start Ramicol based on a clinical suspicion that one of the conditions below is present, before this is confirmed. Lab sensitivity testing should be done alongside treatment, so the drug can be stopped promptly if a safer alternative turns out to be effective. If both Ramicol and another antibiotic appear effective against a particular organism in lab testing, the choice to continue with Ramicol rather than switch should weigh how severe the infection is, how susceptible the organism is to each drug, and how well each drug actually works against that infection.
Dosage Reference
Reference Information Only
Dosages shown are general references from official sources. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist for personalized dosing.
Adults:
Chloramphenicol, like other potent medicines, should be given at the doses known to work effectively. Most sensitive organisms are inhibited at blood concentrations of 5 to 20 mcg/ml, and the aim is to keep the drug within this range for most of the treatment period. A dose of 50 mg/kg/day, divided into 4 doses given 6 hours apart, will usually reach and maintain levels in this range. Except in certain situations, such as premature infants, newborns, and people with liver or kidney impairment, lower doses may fail to reach these concentrations. Patients should be observed closely, and if any adverse reactions occur, the dose should be reduced or the drug stopped, provided the rest of the clinical picture allows this. Adults should receive 50 mg/kg/day in divided doses, roughly one 250 mg capsule for every 4.5 kg (10 lbs) of body weight, or one 500 mg capsule for every 9 kg (20 lbs) of body weight, split into doses given 6 hours apart. In exceptional cases, patients with infections caused by moderately resistant organisms may need a higher dose, up to 100 mg/kg/day, to reach blood levels that inhibit the organism, but such high doses should be lowered again as soon as possible. Adults with impaired liver or kidney function, or both, may be less able to metabolize and clear the drug, so doses should be adjusted accordingly in these cases. Pediatric patients: A dose of 50 mg/kg/day, divided into doses given 6 hours apart, is effective against most susceptible organisms. Severe infections, such as bloodstream infections or meningitis, particularly when adequate concentrations in the cerebrospinal fluid are needed, may require up to 100 mg/kg/day; however, the dose should be brought back down to 50 mg/kg/day as soon as possible. Children with impaired liver or kidney function may retain excessive amounts of the drug. Newborn infants: A total of 25 mg/kg/day, given in 4 equal doses 6 hours apart, usually produces and maintains concentrations in the blood and tissues adequate to control most infections for which the drug is used.
Side Effects
No systemic adverse reaction has been observed with short-term topical use of Optaphenicol. The most frequently reported adverse reactions include burning, stinging, and conjunctival hyperemia, along with blood dyscrasia, allergic or inflammatory reactions, and vesicular or maculopapular dermatitis.
Cautions & Contraindications
Warnings & Precautions
Adequate hematologic function must be closely monitored throughout treatment with this drug. Hematologic testing may detect early peripheral changes, such as leukopenia, reticulocytopenia, or granulocytopenia, before they become irreversible; however, such testing cannot be relied on to detect bone marrow depression before aplastic anemia develops.
Contraindications
Chloramphenicol should not be used by anyone with a known history of hypersensitivity or a toxic reaction to it or to any of its components. It is also not appropriate for minor infections or conditions it is not meant to treat, such as colds, viral flu, or throat infections, nor should it be used simply to try to prevent a bacterial infection from occurring.