tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2981197052686065994.post2756577538323481958..comments2023-10-01T04:36:19.806-07:00Comments on medicine: facts and fictions: Does Azithromycin (Zithromax) cause Cardiac Deaths?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2981197052686065994.post-90091182615315395912013-05-03T11:09:39.434-07:002013-05-03T11:09:39.434-07:00And just to further confuse the issue, a 13 year ...And just to further confuse the issue, a 13 year retrospective Danish study based on national health records, showed that patients with no history of cardiovascular disease did not have an increased risk of cardiac events when given azithromycin, compared with penicillin.george thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14810516710667919032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2981197052686065994.post-81055375931558887132013-04-09T12:45:26.397-07:002013-04-09T12:45:26.397-07:00An article published the week of April 8, 2013 in ...An article published the week of April 8, 2013 in the British Medical Journal by S.Schembri et. al. contained the results of two prospective studies on patients with COPD who were given clarithromycin (Biaxin) or another antibiotic. Biaxin use was also associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events.george thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14810516710667919032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2981197052686065994.post-31124649014140860792013-03-12T14:03:54.461-07:002013-03-12T14:03:54.461-07:00As a final note, on March 12, 2013, the FDA has re...As a final note, on March 12, 2013, the FDA has re-emphasized the potential of azithromycin to cause potentially fatal cardiac arrhythmias, especially in patients with pre-existing QT prolongation, hypokalemia, and hypomagnesiumia, as well as a few other conditions, or if they are taking certain medicines.george thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14810516710667919032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2981197052686065994.post-24166832134847663932012-08-27T11:08:03.352-07:002012-08-27T11:08:03.352-07:00For completeness, let me mention that the latest i...For completeness, let me mention that the latest issue of the NEJM (August 23, 2012, vol. 367, pp772-775 contains letters questioning the robustness and significance of the above-mentioned statistical association together with the authors' reply.george thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14810516710667919032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2981197052686065994.post-46859647409456828812012-08-14T12:58:32.693-07:002012-08-14T12:58:32.693-07:00One of my infectious disease readers infoms me tha...One of my infectious disease readers infoms me that he has received many requests to replace azithromycin with clarithromycin (Biaxin), whereupon he informs the questioner that clarithromycin prolongs the QT interval even more than does azithromycin(!)george thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14810516710667919032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2981197052686065994.post-22734065590935758842012-08-13T08:38:14.421-07:002012-08-13T08:38:14.421-07:00Again, my heartfelt thanks for a lucid discussionAgain, my heartfelt thanks for a lucid discussionDiane Batshaw Eisman, M.D.http://www.voiceovermd.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2981197052686065994.post-8518877758193828612012-08-02T16:20:13.163-07:002012-08-02T16:20:13.163-07:00I should add that because of the risk of torsades ...I should add that because of the risk of torsades de pointes that it is recommended that before COPD patients are placed on 250 mg/day of azithromycin they have a screening EKG, and not receive the medicine if their corrected QT interval exceeds 450 msec.george thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14810516710667919032noreply@blogger.com