Visual Compatibility of Azithromycin With 24 Commonly Used Drugs
A zithromycin dihydrate is an azalide antibiotic, a subclass of the macrolide antibiotics. The compatibility of azithromycin with other drugs during Y-site injection has not heretofore been studied. Information on compatibility is available only from the pharmaceutical company for admixtures in various solutions.1 Compatibility information on commonly used drug combinations can improve patient care and decrease costs by eliminating the need for additional venous access. Compatibility data also ensure safe and efficacious administration of drugs. Classic signs of visual incompatibility are precipitate formation, gas evolution, and change in the color of the solution being infused. On the other hand, chemical instability occurs when the contact of two medications results in the degradation of either drug or the formation of an inactive or toxic substance. Chemical instability is detected by chemical analysis; a common analytic method is high-performance liquid chromatography.

The purpose of this study was to test the visual compatibility of azithromycin dihydrate during Y-site delivery with other injectable agents commonly used at our institution.