azithromycin
- noun
- /əˌzɪθrəˈmaɪsɪn/
- Specialized
- The doctor prescribed azithromycin to treat my bacterial infection.
- antibiotic azithromycin
Examples
-
At least three infectious diseases common in Africa are treated with mass administration of drugs that have been donated by the manufacturer: albendazole for filariasis, ivermectin for onchocerciasis, and azithromycin for trachoma.
Academic text (2003) -
Many infections can be treated effectively with azithromycin, according to recent studies.
-
The toleration and safety profile of azithromycin has been well investigated elsewhere.
Academic text (1995) -
Azithromycin is generally known as a macrolide antibiotic.
Academic text (1995) -
Taking azithromycin is contraindicated in patients allergic to macrolide antibiotics.
Academic text (1995) -
Subsequent research on the antibiotic azithromycin showed that a single oral dose of the drug is as effective as six weeks of topical therapy.
Academic text (2004) -
One oral dose of the antibiotic azithromycin will clear the eyes of a Sudanese girl of trachoma infection.
Academic text (2004) -
The patients in the azithromycin group demonstrated superior compliance (83%) compared to those in the clindamycin group (50%) (Table 5).
Academic text (1995) -
Since macrolides have been reported to increase the plasma concentrations of digoxin, cyclosporin, and carbamazepine, azithromycin should be considered to have the same possible effects.
Academic text (1995) -
After taking azithromycin, the symptoms of the infection improved significantly.
Surface Forms
Morphology
azithromycin = azithro + mycin
The word is built from specialised pharmaceutical combining forms ('azithro-' and '-mycin') that are not productive standalone English morphemes, so learners cannot derive the meaning from the parts.
Etymology
The word azithromycin comes from the older drug erythromycin with a small chemical change shown by azi- (from 'aza', meaning 'nitrogen') and the ending -mycin, which comes from a word for 'fungus' because many early antibiotics were found in moulds. So, the name shows it is an antibiotic related to erythromycin but changed to fight infections in a new way.