1. A broad-spectrum antibiotic drug used to treat bacterial infections, particularly those caused by gram-negative bacteria and rickettsiae.
Usage: medical/pharmaceutical; often abbreviated as CAP; use has declined due to risk of bone marrow suppression

Examples

• Chloramphenicol was once widely prescribed but is now reserved for serious infections.
• The doctor prescribed chloramphenicol to treat the patient's rickettsial infection.
• Chloramphenicol can cause aplastic anemia as a rare but serious side effect.
• Before fluoroquinolones became available, chloramphenicol was a common choice for gram-negative bacterial infections.
• The antibiotic chloramphenicol inhibits bacterial protein synthesis by binding to the ribosome.