These clinical pearls come from years of experience using azithromycin in pediatric practice. They focus on maximizing the unique advantages of this antibiotic while understanding its appropriate place in therapy and avoiding common pitfalls.
3-5 day courses are therapeutically complete, not abbreviated therapy
unknown impactTiming can be flexible - same time daily is more important than specific hour
unknown impactCan take missed dose up to 12 hours late due to long half-life
unknown impactShort-course azithromycin is as effective as longer courses of other antibiotics
Impact:
Azithromycin's tissue penetration makes it superior for certain infection sites
Impact:
Once-daily dosing significantly improves real-world compliance
Impact:
Atypical organisms require different antibiotic approach than typical bacteria
Impact:
School-age child with pneumonia not responding to 48 hours of amoxicillin
Parent reports child 'finished antibiotics but still coughing'
Adolescent prescribed azithromycin reports palpitations