Medicus, Vol. 27 No. 2 Sumamed, 2018.
Review article
Azithromycin Remains an Indispensable Antibiotic for the Treatment of Respiratory Infections
Ilija Kuzman
Abstract
For over twenty years, due to its unique pharmacokinetic profile, i. e. clinical efficacy, simple dosing and good tolerability, azithromycin was the preferred antibiotic, especially for the treatment of acute respiratory infections. As a result of an increasing trend in pneumococcal resistance to penicillin and macrolides, azithromycin has lost this prime position, but it still remains an important and indispensable antibiotic. Due to the inefficacy of beta-lactam antibiotics, azithromycin remained the first-line antibiotic for the treatment of atypical pneumonia and pertussis. Furthermore, combined with beta-lactam antibiotics, it plays a major role in the treatment of severe cases of pneumonia. Azithromycin is an alternative choice for the treatment of upper respiratory tract infections (pharyngitis, sinusitis, and otitis media) and acute COPD exacerbations in patients allergic to beta-lactam antibiotics. New discoveries regarding immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effect of macrolides have led to the use of azithromycin in patients with cystic fibrosis and other chronic respiratory diseases.
Keywords
macrolides; azithromycin; acute respiratory infections; pneumonia
Hrčak ID:
214604
URI
Publication date:
31.10.2018.
Visits: 10.048 *