Erythromycin: A review of its uses in pediatric practice

Erythromycin continues to be a valuable and useful antimicrobial agent in children. Its low index of toxicity, freedom from sensitization, and reliable absorption when administered orally contribute to make it an attractive agent in the treatment of a variety of minor respiratory and skin infections, especially in those situations where real or potential allergy to penicillin exists. Additional major uses are in the eradication of the carrier state in whooping cough and in diphtheria, especially in those instances when oral therapy can be tolerated. Despite use over more than two decades, resistance developing in formerly susceptible organisms has not been a problem and thus seems unlikely to become so in the future.