PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Hussein, Asim A.
AU  - Abdel Rahman, Salah I.
TI  - Meningococcal meningitis epidemic. A new role for single-dose oily chloramphenicol
DP  - 2002 Jul 01
TA  - Saudi Medical Journal
PG  - 797--801
VI  - 23
IP  - 7
4099  - http://smj.org.sa/content/23/7/797.short
4100  - http://smj.org.sa/content/23/7/797.full
SO  - Saudi Med J2002 Jul 01; 23
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To compare the orthodox use of 5 days crystalline penicillin and an alternate regime of single intramuscular injection of long acting oily chloramphenicol during the 1999 cerebrospinal meningitis epidemic that occurred in Abu Jubeha, South Kordofan, Sudan.METHODS: All 793 patients with meningococcal meningitis admitted to Abu Jubeha hospital in the eastern parts of South Kordofan State, were investigated. Through a quasi-experimental design some 140 patients were treated with crystalline penicillin for 5 days while the remaining majority, after the exhaustion of penicillin stocks, were put on single-dose intramascular injections of oily long-acting chloramphenicol.RESULTS: Males were slightly more affected than females (1.3:1), mean age affected was 17.2 years, the majority being below 20 years of age (68%) while 27.3% were below 10 years. The peak of the epidemic was during late March and early April namely 9th and 10th epidemic weeks. In the penicillin group 87.1% recovered uneventfully, 6.4% died, 2.1% developed blindness and 1.5% partial deafness. In the chloramphenicol group, full recovery was reported in 92.8%, 5% fatalities, blindness in 0.5%, partial deafness in 0.3% and skin necrosis in 0.1%.CONCLUSION: The study suggests the use of single-dose intramascular injections of oily chloramphenicol as a nationwide antibiotic of choice for future meningitis epidemics in view of not only its efficacy, but also its low cost, easiness of use, stability and safety.