Delirium associated with the use of macrolide antibiotics: a review

Abstract

Objective

This review aimed to explore and summarise available cases of delirium suspected to be associated with the use of macrolide antibiotics reported in the literature and the United States Food and Drug Administration’s Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database.

Methods

Electronic searches of the literature were conducted in four online databases: PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science and Serbian Citation Index (SCIndeks). A search of FAERS database was also conducted to supplement the findings of the literature search. Descriptive statistics, narrative summation and tabulation of the extracted data were made.

Results

Cases of delirium which satisfied inclusion criteria were found for clarithromycin, azithromycin, erythromycin and telithromycin. Delirium was described in patients of various age groups, including children. Drug-drug interactions may have contributed to its occurrence in some of the cases. Average time to onset of delirium was 2.5 days for azithromycin and 3.3 days for clarithromycin.

Conclusions

Considering that these drugs may be a possible cause of delirium, clinicians should be aware that timely recognition of this possible side effect can lead to earlier discontinuation of the culprit drug, reduce time spent in a delirious state and improve patients’ outcomes.

KEY POINTS

• Cases of delirium which satisfied inclusion criteria were found for clarithromycin, azithromycin, erythromycin and telithromycin.

• Cases of delirium were described in patients of various age groups, including children.

• Drug-drug interactions may have contributed to the occurrence of delirium in some of the cases.

• Time to onset of delirium ranged from 2 to 3.5 days (mean: 2.5 days) for azithromycin and from 1 to 7 days (mean: 3.3 days) for clarithromycin.

• Cessation of the macrolide antibiotic seems to be the best management strategy, although some of the patients may, in addition, require antipsychotics.

Keywords:

• Macrolide
• antibiotics
• delirium
• cases
• review

Disclosure statement

The author declares that there is no conflict of interest.