CHLORAMPHENICOL 1% ophthalmic ointment
CHLORAMPHENICOL 1% ophthalmic ointment contains in each tube:
CHLORAMPHENICOL USP………………………………………….50 mg
PHARMACEUTICAL FORM: Eye ointment
INDICATION: Chloramphenicol
is a broad-spectrum antibiotic applied topically for a variety of superficial
bacterial infections of the cornea, conjunctiva and eyelids.
DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION
Topical administration to the eye only.
Adults, children aged 2 years and over and elderly.
The recommended dose is a small amount of ointment (- lcm) to be applied to
the affected eye(s). The ointment should be applied either at night if eye drops
are used during the day, or 3 to 4 times a day if the eye will advise on the most
suitable treatment. Treatment should continue for 5 days even if symptoms improve.
Hold the tube in hand for several minutes to warm it up before use. Lie down or tilt your head backward and look at the ceiling. Squeeze a small amount of ointment
(about1 cm) inside the lower lid. Do not touch the tip of the tube or cap to the
eye, fingers or any surface. Close the eye gently and roll the eyeball in all
directions while the eye is closed. Temporary blurring may occur.
CONTRAINDICATIONS
Chloramphenicol eye drops are contraindicated in patients with a history of
hypersensitivity or toxicity to chloramphenicol or any other component of the
preparation. Chloramphenicol should not be used in patients who have
experienced myelosuppression during previous exposure to chloramphenicol and in
patients with family history of blood dyscrasias.
PRECAUTIONS AND WARNINGS
Bone marrow hypoplasia, including aplastic
anemia and death, has be rarely reported following local application of
chloramphenicol, Chloramphenicol should not be used when less potentially
dangerous agents would be expected to provide effective treatment, Ophthalmic
agents may retard coal wound healing.
The use of this antibiotic, as with other antibiotics, may result in the
overgrowth of non-susceptible organisms including fungi. If infection caused by
non-susceptible organisms appear during therapy, its use should be discontinued,
and appropriate measures should be taken. In all serious infections, the
topical use of chloramphenicol should be supplemented by appropriate systemic
medication. The mechanism for the irreversible aplastic anemia following
ophthalmic use of chloramphenicol has not been established.
The concomitant administration of chloramphenicol with other drugs liable to depress bone mamos function should be avoided.
USE DURING PREGNANCY AND LACTATION
There
are no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women. Chloramphenicol has been shown to cross the placental
barrier, but it is not known whether chloramphenicol can cause fetal harm when administered to a
pregnant woman. Chloramphenicol should be med during pregnancy only if the
potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus. In view of the
fact that chloramphenicol may appear in breast milk, use of the product during
lactation should be avoided.
EFFECTS ON THE ABILITY TO DRIVE AND USE MACHINE
Chloramphenicol may cause transient
blurring of vision; Patients should be warned not to drive or operate hazardous
machinery unless vision is clear.
ADVERSE EFFECTS
Transient burning or stinging sensations may occur with the use of chloramphenicol eye ointment. Serious side effects include hypersensitivity reactions that may manifest as angioneurotic oedema, anaphylaxis, urticaria, fever, and vesicular and maculopapular dermatitis. Treatment must be discontinued immediately in such cases. Bone marrow depression, including the idiosyncratic type of irreversible and fatal aplastic anemia that is recognized to occur with systemic therapy has been reported in association with topical administration of chloramphenicol.
SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT OF OVERDOSAGE
In view of the relatively small amount of chloramphenicol in Chloramphenicol eye ointment, overdosage with this product is unlikely to constitute hazard. If irritation, pain, selling, lacrimation or photophobia occur after undesigned eye contact, the exposed eye(s) should be irrigated for at least 15 minutes. If symptoms persist after this, an ophthalmological examination should be considered.
PHARMACOLOGY AND PHARMACOKINETICS
Chloramphenicol is a broad-spectrum antibiotic with
bacteriostatic activity and is effective against a wide range of gram-negative
and gram-positive organisms. Chloramphenicol exerts its antibacterial effect by
binding bacterial ribosomes and inhibiting bacterial protein synthesis at an
early stage. Chloramphenicol enters the aqueous humor following topical
application. Chloramphenicol is widely distributed in body tissues and fluids:
it enters the CSF, giving concentrations of about 50% of those existing in the
blood even in the absence of inflamed meninges; it diffuses across the placenta
into the fetal circulation, into breast milk, and into the aqueous and vitreous
humor of the eye. Up to about 60% of the circulation is bound to plasma
protein. The half-life of chloramphenicol has been reported to range from 1.5 to
4 hours, the half-life is prolonged in patients with severe hepatic impairment
and is also much longer in neonates. Renal impairment has relatively link
effect on the half-life of the active drug. due to its extensive metabolism but may lead to accumulation of inactive metabolites. Chloramphenicol is
excreted mainly in urine. The absorption, metabolism, and excretion of
chloramphenicol are subject to considerable interindividual variation,
especially in infants and children, making monitoring of plasma concentrations
necessary to determine pharmacokinetic in a given patient.
Susceptibility
The following bacterial species are recognized as conjunctival pathogens and may
be susceptible to chloramphenicol. However due to the prevalence of acquired
resistance to chloramphenicol in these species, the results of susceptibility
testing should be taken into account if these are available. If no susceptibility
test result is available, the choice of antibacterial agent should be
influenced by local information on the likely prevalence of resistance to chloramphenicol
in species that are commonly pathogenic in the eye Staphylococcus aureus,
Streptococcus pneumonia, other bete-haemolytic streptococci, Hemophilus influenzae,
Moraxella catarrhalis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae.
Resistance
Acquired resistance to chloramphenicol has been described in all the above
species. Most commonly this is mediated by bacterial production of a
chloramphenicol acetyl transferase that inactivates the drug Chloramphenicol is
not generally active against the enteric and is not active against
non-fermenters such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Following topical application to the eye, chloramphenicol may be absorbed into
the aqueous humor, Sufficient chloramphenicol may be absorbed from the eye to
appear in the systemic circulation.
Specific data on systemic absorption from this dosage presentation is not available.
STORAGE
Store protected from moisture, freezing and excessive heat at a temperature not exceeding 25°C. Once opened, the ointment should be unlined within 10 days, discard the remaining ointment thereafter. KEEP MEDICINES OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN'
PRESENTATION
Dosage form: Ophthalmic ointment: 10mg/g ointment-Boxes of 50 tubes.
TROGE MEDICAL GMBH
Milch Strasse
19.20148 Hamburg, Germany. Tel: +49 40-44 18 44 0