Association of azithromycin with mortality and cardiovascular events among older patients hospitalized with pneumonia.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

Although clinical practice guidelines recommend combination therapy with macrolides, including azithromycin, as first-line therapy for patients hospitalized with pneumonia, recent research suggests that azithromycin may be associated with increased cardiovascular events.

Objective

To examine the association of azithromycin use with all-cause mortality and cardiovascular events for patients hospitalized with pneumonia.

Design

Retrospective cohort study comparing older patients hospitalized with pneumonia from fiscal years 2002 through 2012 prescribed azithromycin therapy and patients receiving other guideline-concordant antibiotic therapy.

Setting

This study was conducted using national Department of Veterans Affairs administrative data of patients ho

SUBMITTER: Mortensen EM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4109266 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature