Antimicrobial drugs represent one of the most important advances in drug therapy, but unfortunately they have been improperly used on a large scale. The principal disadvantages of improper use include toxic reactions of drugs, hyper-sensitivity, and resistant mutants and I reviewed the effects of antibiotics on the human hematopoietic system;
1. The chloramphenicol is the most important drugs which affect the hematopoi-
tic system; the first is drug-dependent, reversible bone marrow suppression and
the second is irreversible, drug-independent, often fatal aplastic anemia.
2. Hemolytic anemias are developed with penicillin, streptomycin, cephalothin and
stibophen by the immunologic mechanisms.
3. Miscellaneous reactions such as granulocytopenia and eosinophilia are observed in penicillins and tetracyclines.
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