Table 6.

Incidence of adverse events in two studies comparing azithromycin 2.0 g microspheres with either extended release clarithromycin or levofloxacin in patients with community-acquired pneumonia (D’Ignazio et al 2005; Drehobl et al 2005)

	Drehobl et al 2005		D’Ignazio et al 2005
	Azithromycin microspheres (n = 247)	Clarithromycin XL 1.0 g (n = 252)	Azithromycin microspheres (n = 211)	Levofloxacin 500 mg (n = 212)
Diarrhea/loose stools	30 (12.1%)	19 (7.5%)	27 (12.8%)	11 (5.2%)
Nausea	9 (3.6%)	8 (3.2%)	3 (1.4%)	2 (0.9%)
Abdominal pain	9 (3.6%)	3 (1.2%)	4 (1.9%)	2 (0.9%)
Rash	3 (1.2%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.5%)	0
Taste perversion	3 (1.2%)	9 (3.6%)	0	1 (0.5%)
Vomiting	2 (0.8%)	2 (0.8%)	4 (1.9%)	2 (0.9%)

Abbreviation: XL, extended release.