Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25165555›Full record

ArticleTherapeutic advances in infectious disease2014

Erythromycin, QTc interval prolongation, and torsade de pointes: Case reports, major risk factors and illness severity.

Jules C Hancox, Mehrul Hasnain, W Victor R Vieweg, Michael Gysel, Michelle Methot, Adrian Baranchuk

Open access · greenAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Therapeutic advances in infectious disease, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
1.4field-weighted citation impact, top 16% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 19 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Trial
  2. [Non-Variceal Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding].The Korean journal of helicobacter and upper gastrointestinal research · 2024
    Review
  3. Observational
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. Macrolide antibiotics and the risk of ventricular arrhythmia in older adults.CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne · 2016
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Jules C Hancox
Mehrul HasnainDepartment of Psychiatry, Memorial University, St John's, Newfoundland, Canada.
W Victor R ViewegDepartments of Psychiatry and Internal Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia.
Michael GyselSchool of Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Kingston General Hospital, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
Michelle MethotDepartment of Pharmacy, Kingston General Hospital, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
Adrian BaranchukSchool of Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Kingston General Hospital, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
Kingston General Hospital · CAMemorial University of Newfoundland · CAQueen's University · CAVirginia Commonwealth University · US

Funding

British Heart Foundation PG/12/69/29784
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesErythromycin is a macrolide antibiotic that is widely used for various infections of the upper respiratory tract, skin, and soft tissue. Similar to other macrolides (clarithromycin, azithromycin), erythromycin has been linked to QTc interval prolongation and torsade de pointes (TdP) arrhythmia. We sought to identify factors that link to erythromycin-induced/associated QTc interval prolongation and TdP. METHODS AND

resultsIn a critical evaluation of case reports, we found 29 cases: 22 women and 7 men (age range 18-95 years). With both oral and intravenous erythromycin administration, there was no significant relationship between dose and QTc interval duration in these cases. Notably, all patients had severe illness. Other risk factors included female sex, older age, presence of heart disease, concomitant administration of either other QTc prolonging drugs or agents that were substrates for or inhibitors of CYP3A4. Most patients had at least two risk factors.

conclusionsOn the basis of case report evaluation, we believe that major risk factors for erythromycin-associated TdP are female sex, heart disease and old age, particularly against a background of severe illness. Coadministration of erythromycin with other drugs that inhibit or are metabolized by CYP3A4 or with QTc prolonging drugs should be avoided in this setting.

Indexed as

drug-induced QTc interval prolongationerythromycinrisk factorstorsade de pointes

Identifiers

PMID25165555
PMCPMC4072045
OpenAlexW2149941601

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.