Consider adding this drug to fight COPD that’s severe
Daily use of azithromycin, in conjunction with the usual COPD regimen, has been found to reduce acute exacerbations in patients with moderate to severe disease.
Azithromycin group had higher rates of adverse effects
Nasopharyngeal cultures from participants who became colonized during the course of the study found macrolide resistance in 81% of those in the azithromycin group vs 41% of the placebo group (P<.001). Twenty-five percent of patients in the azithromycin group developed measurable hearing loss, compared with 20% of those on placebo (P=0.04; number needed to harm=20).
WHAT’S NEW?: A better understanding of benefits and risks
This study shows that the addition of azithromycin (250 mg/d) to standard COPD treatment decreases the number of exacerbations, but does little to reduce hospital admissions. It also highlights the adverse effect profile of azithromycin and the importance of using the antibiotic only for carefully selected patients.
CAVEATS: Macrolide resistance is a key concern
Twenty-five percent of the azithromycin group had documented hearing loss—an additional one in 20 compared with patients in the placebo group. More importantly, there was an increase in the prevalence of macrolide-resistant respiratory pathogens in patients on daily azithromycin. The long-term impact of daily azithromycin on antibiotic resistance is unknown, both for patients themselves and the community at large.
Physicians will have to assess the benefit of a decrease in COPD exacerbations (approximately one every 3 years) vs the risk of an increase in hearing problems and macrolide resistance. A sensible approach would be to reserve daily use of azithromycin for patients with a history of multiple exacerbations, who potentially have more to gain.
CHALLENGES TO IMPLEMENTATION: There are none
There are no major challenges to implementation aside from the cost, which would be approximately $1200 per year (azithromycin 250 mg [30 tablets] at $98.99 per month).10
Acknowledgement
The PURLs Surveillance System is supported in part by Grant Number UL1RR024999 from the National Center for Research Resources, a Clinical Translational Science Award to the University of Chicago. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Center For Research Resources or the National Institutes of Health.
