Abstract

COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE GASTROKINETIC EFFECTS OF ERYTHROMYCIN AND AZITHROMYCIN IN HEALTHY SUBJECTS: SONOGRAPHIC STUDY.

Ugwu AC, Agwu KK, *Umeh EC, Imo AO and Ohuegbe C

ABSTRACT

AIM: The purpose of this study was to investigate the comparative gastrokinetic effects of erythromycin and azithromycin in apparently healthy subjects. METHODOLOGY: Ultrasonographic evaluation of changes in gastric antral areas were undertaken in 24 subjects after a liquid meal at five minutes interval for thirty minutes. These were performed in pre-prandial states in a cross over method between erythromycin and azithromycin ingestion. The gastric antral areas were calculated as compared used paired t test as a measure of relative motilities induced by these drugs. P<0.05 was used as a criterion of statistical significance. RESULT: This showed that azithromycin enhance gastric motility better than erythromycin. No significant difference after the 15th minute might imply that emptying of this liquid meal was concluded in the first 15 or 20 minutes. CONCLUSION: Azithromycin hence could be adopted as a prokinetic alternative to erythromycin based on its tolerance and added efficacy in gastric motility.

Keywords: Erythromycin, Azithromycin, gastrokinesis, ultrasonography.