Johns Hopkins ABX Guide
Clarithromycin
INDICATIONS
FDA
FDA
- Following indications are rarely preferred among these older FDA indications due to the rise of macrolide resistance:
- Pharyngitis and tonsillitis
- Acute maxillary sinusitis (Biaxin and Biaxin XL)
- Acute bacterial exacerbation of chronic bronchitis (Biaxin and Biaxin XL)
- Community-acquired pneumonia (Biaxin and Biaxin XL)
- For Legionella, current guidelines favor azithromycin or a respiratory fluoroquinolone; clarithromycin remains an effective alternative.
- Acute otitis media
- Uncomplicated skin and skin structure infections
- Treatment of active duodenal ulcer associated with H. pylori infection (in combination with omeprazole or ranitidine, bismuth citrate)
- Treatment of disseminated mycobacterial infections due to Mycobacterium avium
- Prophylaxis of Mycobacterium avium
- Pediatric indications include: pharyngitis/tonsillitis, community-acquired pneumonia, acute maxillary sinusitis, acute otitis media, uncomplicated skin and skin structure infections, disseminated Mycobacterium avium
- Bartonella infections
- Pertussis (in children at least one month old)
- Buruli ulcer
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Last updated: August 7, 2026
Citation
Soto, Caitlin, and Kathryn Dzintars. "Clarithromycin." Johns Hopkins ABX Guide, The Johns Hopkins University, 2026. Johns Hopkins Guides, www.hopkinsguides.com/hopkins/view/Johns_Hopkins_ABX_Guide/540130/all/Clarithromycin.
Soto C, Dzintars K. Clarithromycin. Johns Hopkins ABX Guide. The Johns Hopkins University; 2026. https://www.hopkinsguides.com/hopkins/view/Johns_Hopkins_ABX_Guide/540130/all/Clarithromycin. Accessed August 9, 2026.
Soto, C., & Dzintars, K. (2026). Clarithromycin. In Johns Hopkins ABX Guide. The Johns Hopkins University. https://www.hopkinsguides.com/hopkins/view/Johns_Hopkins_ABX_Guide/540130/all/Clarithromycin
Soto C, Dzintars K. Clarithromycin [Internet]. In: Johns Hopkins ABX Guide. The Johns Hopkins University; 2026. [cited 2026 August 09]. Available from: https://www.hopkinsguides.com/hopkins/view/Johns_Hopkins_ABX_Guide/540130/all/Clarithromycin.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
TY - ELEC
T1 - Clarithromycin
ID - 540130
A1 - Soto,Caitlin,PharmD, BCIDP
AU - Dzintars,Kathryn,Pharm.D., BCPS
Y1 - 2026/08/07/
BT - Johns Hopkins ABX Guide
UR - https://www.hopkinsguides.com/hopkins/view/Johns_Hopkins_ABX_Guide/540130/all/Clarithromycin
PB - The Johns Hopkins University
DB - Johns Hopkins Guides
DP - Unbound Medicine
ER -
