Use of azithromycin and risk of ventricular arrhythmia.

Use of azithromycin and risk of ventricular arrhythmia. CMAJ. 2017 Apr 18;189(15):E560-E568 Authors: Trifirò G, de Ridder M, Sultana J, Oteri A, Rijnbeek P, Pecchioli S, Mazzaglia G, Bezemer I, Garbe E, Schink T, Poluzzi E, Frøslev T, Molokhia M, Diemberger I, Sturkenboom MCJM Abstract BACKGROUND: There are conflicting findings from observational studies of the arrhythrogenic potential of azithromycin. Our aim was to quantify the association between azithromycin use and the risk of ventricular arrhythmia. METHODS: We conducted a nested case-control study within a cohort of new antibiotic users identified from a network of 7 population-based health care databases in Denmark, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom for the period 1997-2010. Up to 100 controls per case were selected and matched by age, sex and database. Recency of antibiotic use and type of drug (azithromycin was the exposure of interest) at the index date (occurrence of ventricular arrhythmia) were identified. We estimated the odds of ventricular arrhythmia associated with current azithromycin use relative to current amoxicillin use or nonuse of antibiotics (≥ 365 d without antibiotic exposure) using conditional logistic regression, adjusting for confounders. RESULTS: We identified 14 040 688 new antibiotic users who met the inclusion criteria. Ventricular arrhythmia developed in 12 874, of whom 30 were current azithromycin users. The...
Source: cmaj - Category: Journals (General) Authors: Tags: CMAJ Source Type: research