According to a study published in this week's New England Journal of Medicine, the popular antibiotic azithromycin (commonly known by its "Z-Pak" trade name) is more likely to cause sudden death in high-risk patients than another commonly used antibiotic, amoxicillin.
According to the researchers, doctors commonly prescribe the Z-Pak because of its easy regimen. Patients take pills over the course of fewer days, making it more likely they will finish all of their medication, which leads to more effective treatment and lessens the likelihood of the patient developing a drug-resistant bug.
The researchers found that azithromycin can lead to irregular heartbeats, which can potentially lead to death. According to the study, patients on azithromycin who already had a cardiovascular disease were more than twice as likely to die from a cardiovascular-related cause (such as a heart attack, stroke or sudden cardiac death) while taking their medication than patients on amoxicillin.
Rather than rule out azithromycin as a treatment, the researchers urged patients to talk their doctors about the risks and benefits of taking the drug.
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