Clarithromycin,250 mg pills. Clarithromycin is a macrolide antibiotic used to treat pharyngitis,tonsillitis,acute maxillary sinusitis,acute bacterial exacerbation of chronic bronchitis,pneumonia (especially atypical pneumonias associated with Chlamydia pneumoniae or TWAR),skin and skin structure infections,and,in HIV and AIDS patients to prevent,and to treat,disseminated Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC). In addition,it is sometimes used to treat legionellosis. Clarithromycin is available under several brand names,for example Biaxin,Klaricid,Klabax,Claripen,Claridar and Clacid. Clarithromycin has similar antimicrobial spectrum as erythromycin but is more effective against certain gram-negative bacteria,particularly Legionella pneumophila. Besides this bacteriostatic effect,clarithromycin also has bactericidal effect on certain strains such as Haemophilus influenzae,Streptococcus pneumoniae and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Unlike erythromycin,clarithromycin is acid-stable and can therefore be taken orally without being protected from gastric acids. It is readily absorbed,and diffused into most tissues and phagocytes. Due to the high concentration in phagocytes,clarithromycin is actively transported to the site of infection. During active phagocytosis,large concentrations of clarithromycin are released. The concentration of clarithromycin in the tissues can be over 10 times higher than in plasma. Highest concentrations were found in liver and lung tissue |