Oral chloramphenicol in the therapy of haemophilus influenzae meningitis

Thirty-nine children with Haemophilus influenzae type B (HITB) meningitis, who had received at least five days of oral chloramphenicol, were studied. All patients responded well to treatment. No relapses of meningitis occurred. Chloramphenicol levels in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) following oral administration of chloramphenicol palmitate were as high, or higher, than those following i. v. therapy with chloramphenicol succinate. In the patients studied, the route of administration of chloramphenicol had little effect on trough CSF levels.