What is a side effect of the drug chloramphenicol?

NORCET 2 - 2021 (shift-1)

Pharmacology

Easy

Appeared in: NORCET 2 - 2021 (shift-1)

Explanation

Chloramphenicol is a broad-spectrum antibiotic whose use is limited due to its dangerous side effects, most notably bone marrow depression.
This toxicity can manifest in two forms: a dose-related, reversible suppression of bone marrow, and a rare, idiosyncratic, irreversible aplastic anemia which is often fatal.
The mechanism involves the inhibition of mitochondrial protein synthesis in the highly susceptible cells of the bone marrow.

Option A: Emotional lability is not a recognized or common side effect associated with chloramphenicol.
Option C: Fever and cough are non-specific symptoms. They are more likely signs of the underlying infection that chloramphenicol is being used to treat, rather than a direct drug side effect.
Option D: This option is incorrect because not all the listed effects are side effects of chloramphenicol. Emotional lability is not associated with the drug.

Visual 1: Infographic - A summary table of Chloramphenicol's major adverse effects, including Bone Marrow Depression, Gray Baby Syndrome, and Optic Neuritis, with key characteristics for each.
Visual 2: Flowchart - Depicting the two pathways of chloramphenicol-induced bone marrow toxicity (reversible vs. irreversible aplastic anemia) and the associated clinical monitoring steps (CBC).

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Knowing Adverse effects of Chloramphenicol helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
Nurses must meticulously monitor complete blood counts (CBC) before and during chloramphenicol therapy to detect early signs of bone marrow suppression.
Patient education is critical: teach patients to report symptoms like unusual fatigue, pallor (anemia), easy bruising or bleeding (thrombocytopenia), or new infections like sore throat and fever (leukopenia).
Due to its severe toxicity, chloramphenicol is reserved for serious infections where safer alternatives are not effective or available.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the core of the question: it asks for a known side effect of a specific drug, chloramphenicol.
This is a factual recall question from pharmacology. Access your knowledge about this specific antibiotic.
Recall or reason through the adverse effect profile of chloramphenicol. Focus on the most serious and well-known toxicities, as these are frequently tested.
Evaluate each option. Bone marrow depression is a classic, 'black box' warning-level side effect of this drug.
Consider the other options. Emotional lability is not associated with this drug. Fever and cough are non-specific and more likely related to the illness being treated.
Since options A and C are incorrect, 'All of the above' must also be incorrect, confirming Bone marrow depression as the only correct choice.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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