Background Acute exacerbations adversely affect patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Macrolide antibiotics benefit patients with a variety of inflammatory airway diseases. NOTE: If a patient vomits within 5 minutes of the dose, the manufacturer recommends additional antibiotic treatment due to minimal absorption of the azithromycin dose. The addition of azithromycin to standard regimens for antibiotic prophylaxis before cesarean delivery may further reduce the rate of postoperative infection. We evaluated the benefits and safety. 250 to 500 mg PO every 12 hours for 7 to 14 days; dose and duration are dependent on organism. For M. catarrhalis and S. pneumoniae, 250 mg PO every 12 hours for 7 to 14 days. Recommended Antimicrobial Agents for the Treatment and Postexposure Prophylaxis of Pertussis 2005 CDC Guidelines. Prepared by Tejpratap Tiwari, M.D. The antibiotic prophylactic regimens below are recommended by the American Heart Association (AHA) only for patients with underlying cardiac conditions associated with the highest risk of adverse outcome from infective endocarditis. For further information on infective endocarditis, see Infective Endocarditis, Pediatric Bacterial. Azithromycin Dihydrate official prescribing information for healthcare professionals. Includes: indications, dosage, adverse reactions, pharmacology and more. ZITHROMAX® (azithromycin) Tablets and Oral Suspension. DESCRIPTION. ZITHROMAX (azithromycin tablets and oral suspension) contains the active ingredient azithromycin, a macrolide antibacterial drug , for oral administration. Zithromax is a macrolide antibacterial drug indicated for the treatment of patients with mild to moderate infections caused by susceptible strains of the designated microorganisms in the specific conditions listed below. Azithromycin to Prevent COPD Exacerbations: What's New? By Abhishek Biswas, MD. Multiple previous studies have suggested likely benefits from using azithromycin as an immunomodulator for cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis, diffuse panbronchiolitis, post-transplant obliterative bronchiolitis and COPD.