COMPARATIVE CLINICAL-STUDY OF CEFONICID, CHLORAMPHENICOL, AND PENICILLIN IN COMMUNITY-ACQUIRED PNEUMONIA

Community-acquired pneumonia is one of the most common infectious cond itions that require hospitalization. When intravenous treatment is ind icated, cefonicid is usually the drug of choice. The aim of this study was to find out if chloramphenicol, which is superior to the standard drugs from a financial point of view, could serve as an equally effic ient treatment, especially in the elderly. The outcomes of 3 pneumonia patient groups who were either treated with cefonicid, chloramphenico l or penicillin-a (n=59, 17, 24, respectively) were retrospectively co mpared. Data about demographic characteristics of the patients, clinic al outcomes, rehospitalization rates, duration of improvement/treatmen t/ hospitalization and clinical laboratory tests were obtained from ea ch patient's medical records. Only minor differences (even though occa sionally significant) were found with respect to rehospitalization and improvement rates, duration of hospitalization, treatment and improve ment, death rates and clinical laboratory tests. However, chlorampheni col patients were found to be significantly older than cefonicid patie nts. Moreover, no bone-marrow suppression was associated with chloramp henicol treatment. All 3 drugs tested seem to have the same efficacy. We conclude that since chloramphenicol is as safe as, and much cheaper than cefonicid, this antibiotic agent is not inferior to the others, its usage in older patients with pneumonia should be considered.