Dosage of chloramphenicol in typhoid and paratyphoid in children.

Over a period of 12 years, 109 children with salmonella enteric fever were treated with chloramphenicol: 65 children were given the drug at 50 mg/kg/24 h (Group A) and 44 received 100 mg/kg/24 h (Group B). Treatment failed in 63% with the lower dose and in 24% of children treated with the higher dose (P less than 0.001). In the children who received only chloramphenicol, the higher dose produced a clinical response in 5.4 (1.8) (mean (S.D.] days compared with 7 (2.6) days with the lower dose (P less than 0.01). Chloramphenicol in an initial dose of 100 mg/kg/24 h is recommended in the treatment of typhoid and paratyphoid in children.