Seattle Researchers Question Established Zithromax Warnings

Researchers from Seattle’s Public Health division are raising questions regarding the possible links between Zithromax and cardiac complications. However, the researchers are questioning whether the problems exist, as the research has failed to find any solid correlations.

In a letter addressing these questions published in the May issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, several researchers raised questions of any actual connection between Zithromax and an increased risk of cardiac deaths. Additionally, the researchers state that even if there is a risk, the likelihood of experiencing heart problems is much smaller than previous statistics have indicated.

The researchers from Seattle compiled statistics from 260,048 patients who had taken Zithromax or other antibiotics to treat gonorrhea, chlamydia, or both, from 1993 to 2012. These cases were taken from the Oregon Public Health Division, and approximately 62 percent of these patients, 162,385 patients, received Zithromax.

The researchers reviewed deaths among patients who died 10 days after starting the medication. The findings indicated no cardiovascular causes among the five patients who died in this period. However, the researchers did note that there were some cardiac complications that had occurred in correlation with Zithromax once they went outside the 10 day period, but it was only observed in elderly patients.

This finding did not reflect the typical population that is said to be most affected by Zithromax-induced heart problems. In the entire study, only one cardiac-related death was found in the patients using Zithromax to treat the sexually transmitted diseases. After the researchers compiled the results, they concluded while it was troubling that their findings contradicted the U.S Food and Drug Administration and previous studies, but were pleased to report that Zithromax was safe to prescribe to treat STDs.

“Our findings should be reassuring to health care providers who prescribe azithromycin to treat gonorrhea and chlamydia, and they support the conclusion of the (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) that research related to possible cardiac toxicity associated with azithromycin should not lead to a change in current treatment guidelines for STDs,” the researchers concluded.

While the findings of the report were positive, it does raise to question about the previous studies conducted to observe the cardiac complications supposedly caused by Zithromax. The Seattle researchers’ study has contradicts the findings of FDA investigators, which issued a Zithromax drug warning in March 2013. The warning stated that the medication could cause potentially fatal heart activity.

The fatal cardiac activity described by the FDA involves disruptions of the electrical activity of the heart. The FDA’s concern was initially raised in May 2012, which spawned numerous scientific inquiries into the drug and its side effects.

Overview of Zithromax Complications

Zithromax (Azithromycin) is one of the world’s bestselling antibiotics, and the most popular antibiotic in the United States. It is manufactured by Pfizer and is used to treat a variety of bacterial infections, including ear infections, strep throat, pneumonia, typhoid, bronchitis, STDs, and sinusitis. Many medical experts believe that Zithromax’s success is due to the drug’s short prescription time requirement. The required prescription period of Zithromax is five days, compared to 10 days for other antibiotics.

In 2013, the FDA issued a warning stating that Zithromax could be dangerous to those with pre-existing heart conditions, and the elderly. The cardiac conditions associated with Zithromax the FDA warned against are:

• QT interval prolongation
• Low levels of potassium or magnesium in blood
• Slow heart rate
• Use of certain drugs used to treat abnormal heart rhythms, or arrhythmias

Join a Free Zithromax Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you believe that you or a loved one has been the victim of a Zithromax/Z-Pak injury such as a heart attack, liver damage, or Stevens Johnson Syndrome, you have legal options. See if you qualify to join a free Zithromax class action lawsuit investigation and pursue compensation for you or your loved one’s injuries:

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