BACKGROUND Azithromycin is recommended for the treatment of uncomplicated urogenital chlamydia infection although the standard 1gram dose sometimes fails to eradicate the infection (treatment failure). One hypothesis proposed for treatment failure has been insufficient levels of the antibiotic at the site of infection. We developed an assay using liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectromet...

Macrolide antibiotics like azithromycin inhibit bacterial growth and replication by interrupting protein synthesis. But azithromycin also has immunomodulatory properties.1 In the acute phase of infl ammation, azithromycin exerts an initial neutrophil degranulation effect and enhances the oxidative response that is primed by particulate stimulus, which could facilitate its antibacterial effects....

The aim of this study was to describe clinical effectiveness of azithromycin in the management of lower respiratory tract infections in daily clinical practice, to examine duration of symptoms after therapy initiation, and to record any possible adverse effects of azithromycin treatment. A total of 153 patients were included in the analysis of the effectiveness of azithromycin: 94 patients with...

BACKGROUND Macrolides are considered safe antibiotics with reduced allergenic activity. However, studies on the safety of macrolides are scarce, particularly in children. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of hypersensitivity reactions to clarithromycin and azithromycin in a group of children referred to our allergy unit for suspected macrolide allergy. METHODS We r...

BACKGROUND Viral bronchiolitis is the leading cause of hospitalization in young infants. It is associated with the development of childhood asthma and contributes to morbidity and mortality in the elderly. Currently no therapies effectively attenuate inflammation during the acute viral infection, or prevent the risk of post-viral asthma. We hypothesized that early treatment of a paramyxoviral b...

This review aimed to compare data regarding the effectiveness and safety of azithromycin with alternative regimens in the treatment of pregnant women with Chlamydia trachomatis infection. PubMed and Scopus databases were searched to identify relevant randomised controlled trials (RCTs). The main analysis focused on comparison of azithromycin with erythromycin. In a secondary analysis, azithromy...

We investigated the interaction between amphotericin B and azithromycin in vitro against 26 clinical isolates of Fusarium. Synergy was demonstrated in all isolates. Amphotericin B MICs were reduced from a mean of 1 mg/L when tested alone to a mean of 0.37 mg/L when tested in combination with azithromycin. Azithromycin demonstrated no activity against Fusarium when tested alone (MIC > 128 mg/L)....

Azithromycin is an antibiotic that is commonly prescribed for upper and lower respiratory tract infections in children. While it has proven benefits, some concerns regarding azithromycin use have arisen in recent years. This practice point considers azithromycin therapy for acute respiratory infections in otherwise healthy children. Pharmacokinetics, spectrum of activity, the problem of resista...

Rhinovirus infection is a major cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations and may contribute to the development into severe stages of COPD. The macrolide antibiotic azithromycin may exert anti-viral actions and has been reported to reduce exacerbations in COPD. However, little is known about its anti-viral actions on bronchial epithelial cells at clinically relevant co...

Macrolide antibiotics are known to have a different proarrhythmic potential in the presence of comparable QT prolongation in the surface ECG. Because the extent of QT prolongation has been used as a surrogate marker for cardiotoxicity, we aimed to study the different electrophysiological effects of the macrolide antibiotics erythromycin, clarithromycin, and azithromycin in a previously develope...