Patients should not stop taking the antibiotic azithromycin without first consulting with their physician, the FDA said in a statement following a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
That study linked the drug with increased risk for cardiovascular death during short-term therapy. The FDA notes that other macrolide antibiotics also carry warnings about possible QT interval prolongation.
The agency says it’s reviewing the work and that “healthcare professionals should be aware of the potential for QT interval prolongation and heart arrhythmias when prescribing or administering macrolides.”
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