Original scientific paper

Effectiveness and safety of azithromycin in the treatment of upper respiratory tract infections

Ana Penezić ; KBC "Sr. milosrdnice", Klinika za otorinolaringologiju i kirurgiju glave i vrata, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Maja Gašparić ; PLIVA Hrvatska d.o.o., Zagreb, Hrvatska
Adela Kolumbić-Lakoš ; PLIVA Hrvatska d.o.o., Zagreb, Hrvatska
Mirjana Matrapazovski-Kukuruzović ; PLIVA Hrvatska d.o.o., Zagreb, Hrvatska
Dražen Kovačić ; PLIVA Hrvatska d.o.o., Zagreb, Hrvatska
Bruno Baršić ; Klinika za infektivne bolesti "Dr. Fran Mihaljević", Zagreb, Hrvatska

Abstract

The aim of the study was to describe clinical effectiveness of azithromycin in the management of upper respiratory tract infections, to examine the duration of symptoms after beginning of therapy and to mark possible adverse events of azithromycin treatment. The overall intention-to-treat (ITT) study population included 422 patients: 184 with diagnosis of acute pharyngitis (AP), 156 with acute sinusitis (AS) and 82 with acute otitis media (AOM). Clinical effectiveness was based on the results of clinical improvement and cure after three day treatment with azithromycin, calculating the clinical score for each diagnosis before treatment (at the inclusion), at the 4th day (end of the therapy) and at the 12th (end of the study). In this study azithromycin led to the relief of symptoms after three days in the 93.6% of patients. Antibiotics were prescribed within one year before inclusion in 56.6% of patients and 20.5% were previously treated with macrolides. Clinical effectiveness in ITT population was 95.6% and there were 4.4% failures. Overall, 38 (9.1%) patients reported 48 adverse events. The most common were: abdominal pain reported in 14 (1.1%) patients, diarrhea in 12 (0.9%), nausea in 5 (0.4%), vomiting in 5 (0.4%). The therapy was withdrawn because of an adverse event in one patient. The results of our study show that azithromycin in the treatment of upper respiratory tract infections has a high clinical effectiveness and small number of adverse events. Azithromycin is a reliable antibiotic treatment in upper respiratory tract infections, giving fast resolution of symptoms with little adverse events in patients with presumed bacterial infections.

Keywords

Azithromycin; effectiveness; safety; acute pharyngitis; acute sinusitis; acute otitis media

Hrčak ID:

149986

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/149986

Publication date:

31.1.2015.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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