Azithromycin is a common antibiotic prescribed to pediatric patients who have a variety of bacterial infections.

Ear infections, upper respiratory infections, sinus infections, skin infections, tonsillitis, urinary tract infections, throat infections and more are common childhood illnesses that are often treated with azithromycin.

For many children, a course of azithromycin is all that is needed to clear up an infection, and life resumes as normal. However, for some children, an azithromycin allergic reaction can occur.  If severe, it can be devastating or even deadly.

How Does Azithromycin Treat Bacterial Illness?

Azithromycin works differently as compared to other antibiotics that work by killing bacteria directly. Azithromycin works by stopping the reproduction of bacteria, therefore causing the bacteria to cease multiplying.

When the bacteria are kept at a constant number rather than multiplying rapidly, the body’s own immune system then has a chance to conquer the infection on its own.

A standard course of antibiotics is typically 10 to 14 days, while a course of azithromycin is typically only five days, and sometimes is given in a three-day course or even in a single megadose pill.

Parents and physicians like azithromycin because a course of the drug is much shorter than a round of typical antibiotics.

However, as with any pharmaceutical drug, azithromycin has a list of common reactions that may appear during the course of antibiotic treatment.

Azithromycin Side Effects

Many azithromycin side effects are mild and will go away on their own after the body adjusts to the medication or the medication is stopped.

Common side effects include nausea, diarrhea, stomach pain, dizziness, fatigue, headache, itching or skin rash, ringing in the ears or vaginal itching or discharge.

More serious azithromycin side effects may also occur, including two types of azithromycin allergic reaction situations. The most commonly known allergic antibiotic reaction is an anaphylactic response that includes difficulty breathing, hives, and swelling.

Another antibiotic reaction that can occur is a severe skin rash – an azithromycin allergic reaction called Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS).

Azithromycin and Stevens Johnson Syndrome

Stevens Johnson Syndrome initially presents with flulike symptoms, and often goes unnoticed at first.

Fever, chills, sore throat, malaise and lethargy may be many of the same symptoms seen in the initial bacterial infection, so they are dismissed. Alternatively, parents may think that their child is simply coming down with a cold or flu.

Following the flulike symptoms, however, a skin rash may appear. The characteristic Stevens Johnson Syndrome rash consists of red or purplish blisters that appear in the mucous membranes of the body and on the skin.

The rash can quickly spread. When an SJS rash affects a particular skin area, the skin cells die and slough off, and large areas may have skin that flakes off in sheets.

Stevens Johnson Syndrome is diagnosed when less than 30% of the body is affected by the rash. When more than 30% of the body is affected by the rash, Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN) is diagnosed.

The mortality rate of Stevens Johnson Syndrome is 5 to 10% and for Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis is approximately 30 to 40%.

Stevens Johnson Syndrome can occur at any time a drug is used. Even if a patient has taken a drug previously with no ill effects, the SJS antibiotic allergic reaction may manifest at any time.

If your child is taking azithromycin and has developed a skin rash, it is important to be aware that the condition may actually be an azithromycin allergic reaction and not just a simple side effect.

It is important to seek medical care immediately, as SJS is a medical emergency.

If your child developed Stevens Johnson Syndrome as a result of an azithromycin antibiotic reaction, you may be eligible to seek compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering and more.

An azithromycin attorney can review your case for free and advise you on your legal options.