PEDIATRICS Vol. 25 No. 6 June 1960, pp. 1088-1090
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On the "Gray Syndrome" and Chloramphenicol Toxicity

JOSEPH ST. GEME M.D.1

1 Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 14, Minn.

Some time ago North American pediatricians were introduced to the term "gray syndrome." This comprised abdominal distention, pallid cyanosis and vasomotor collapse, and was observed to appear within 2 to 3 days after institution of chloramphenicol therapy in newborn infants. This entity was not seen in neonates administered chloramphenicol in doses less than 50 mg/kg/24 hours. The alarming nature of this problem seems to have been corroborated by similar observations from several medical centers.

These afflicted infants were administered chloramphenicol as well as other antibiotics because of premature rupture of uterine membranes in most instances.