title: Azithromycin: more lethal than chloramphenicol?
abstract: Azithromycin is commonly used in sexual health and respiratory medicine, often when the diagnosis is presumptive. A recent article by Ray et al. reported that 1 out of 20?000 courses of low-dose azithromycin was associated with (sudden) cardiovascular death (including 1 out of 4000 courses in high-risk cardiovascular patients), ascribing these deaths to azithromycin itself. Here, we critique the actual study and examine conflicting data from randomised control trials, animal studies and observational data.
authors: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic. 3010, Australia.
authors: Ivan
authors: I
authors: Stratov
authors: Justin
authors: J
authors: Denholm
authors: Stephen J
authors: SJ
authors: Kent
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D017963:Azithromycin / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002701:Chloramphenicol / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D012107:Research Design
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002701:Chloramphenicol; D017963:Azithromycin