Azithromycin skin side effects in kids is a major concern in the medical community, as it can potentially develop into Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS).

This life threatening allergic reaction is specifically caused by one or more medications, and is one of the most severe reactions any adult or pediatric patient can have.

While SJS can be caused by potentially any medication, Azithromycin skin side effects in kids is one of the most frequently reported in conjunction.

Azithromycin (brandname Zithromax) is a popular antibiotic that is prescribed to both adults and patients, well known for its short prescription regime.

This is due to the drug’s unique treatment mechanism, which attacks the reproductive abilities of the bacteria rather than the bacterial cells directly.

Compared to the typical ten day antibiotic prescription, Azithromycin only requires five days and is very poplar among children and parents for this reason.

However Azithromycin and other antibiotics can potentially do more harm than good in certain cases, especially in pediatric patients with drug sensitivity.

Antibiotic Study: Azithromycin Skin Side Effects in Kids

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are over 65,000 children treated in emergency care every year due to adverse antibiotic reactions.

The CDC’s recently study shows that a significant number of these reactions are allergic, suggesting that children are not only more vulnerable to adverse drug reactions and that physicians should take active steps to avoid them.

A review published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, had found that the most common antibiotic drug reactions in children were: skin rashes, hives, swelling of mouth and throat, and breathing difficulty.

This review consisted of approximately 6,000 medical records of children under 19, which showed that some of these children developed further complications soon after taking these medications.

The age group that had exhibited the most emergency room visits was five years old and under, in which the same drugs had caused a third of the older children to be rush to emergency care.

Results of the study showed that eight of the top 15 drugs had caused the majority of the problems, which included reports of Azithromycin skin side effects in kids. After the results of the study were analyzed, it was concluded that most of these emergency room cases could have been avoided.

According to Dr. Adam Hersh of the Pediatric Infectious Disease program at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, “many antibiotic prescriptions are not necessary to begin with.”

Even though numerous medical guidelines advise physicians to only prescribe antibiotics when it is medically necessary, like strep, research from the CDC indicates otherwise.

According to a 2011 analysis, over half of all antibiotics prescribed in the United States to children 14 years old or younger were for respiratory tract infections that were most likely viral.

However Dr. Hersh reminds the patient population and medical community that antibiotics are necessary to treat bacterial infections, and should be administered if necessary.

It is important for parents and physicians to be vigilant against any drug sensitivities the child may have, which can be used to determine which medication is best suited.

If the parent notices unusual side effects, such as Azithromycin skin side effects in kids, they should report to their physician immediately. Early intervention can prevent the reaction from getting worse, along with any other reactions that could have occurred.