Cardiac Risks With Antibiotics Azithromycin, Levofloxacin

Here is something a little concerning. Azithromycin is a antibiotic that is often prescribed for Lyme disease. I took it for many months in conjunction with intravenous ceftriaxone. So I kind of keep my ear to the ground when discussions like this come up. -Bob

Cardiac Risks With Antibiotics Azithromycin, Levofloxacin Supported by VA Data

Michael O'Riordan

March 10, 2014

COLUMBIA, SC – Data from a large cohort of patients enrolled at US Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers support recent conclusions that treatment with the antibiotic azithromycin (Zithromax/Zmax, Pfizer) significantly increases the risk of death and cardiac arrhythmia in the first five days of treatment[1].

In addition, investigators showed the antibiotic levofloxacin (Levaquin, Janssen Pharmaceuticals) was associated with a significantly increased risk of death and cardiac arrhythmia when compared with patients treated with amoxicillin.

"Like all medications, clinicians should remember that the uses of antibiotics are not free of serious adverse events," lead author Dr Gowtham Rao (University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC) told heartwire . "For every patient, we should weigh the risks and benefits of antibacterial therapies and promote patients to be part of a shared decision making."  ....

Read the whole story here:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/821697