Telithromycin (Ketek) for respiratory tract infections.(Steps)

Publication: American Family Physician

Publication Date: 15-SEP-04

Bookmark this article Print this article Link to this article Email this article Digg It! Add to del.icio.us RSS

COPYRIGHT 2004 American Academy of Family Physicians

Synopsis

Telithromycin is the first member of the ketolides, a new subclass of the macrolide class of antibiotics. Its activity against common respiratory pathogens is similar to that of macrolide antibiotics clarithromycin (Biaxin) and azithromycin (Zithromax), but with in vitro and in vivo activity against both pencillin-resistant and macrolide-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae. Telithromycin is labeled for treatment of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis (AECB), and acute sinusitis (AS) in adults.

Safety

As with other currently available fluoroquinolone and macrolide antibiotics, QTc interval prolongation has been linked to the use of telithromycin. Its effect on the QTc interval is small and does not appear to be clinically significant, except perhaps in patients already at risk because of older age, preexisting medical conditions (e.g., coronary heart disease, hypokalemia, cerebrovascular disease, hypomagnesemia), or...

Read the full article for free courtesy of your local library.