Clinical Efficacy of Azithromycin in the Treatment of Pediatric Mycoplasma pneumoniae Pneumonia and Its Impact on Platelet Count and D-Dimer Levels

Yuan Cheng, Qing-Feng Fang, Bi-Quan Chen Department of Infectious Diseases, Anhui Provincial Children’s Hospital, Hefei, Anhui, 230022, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Bi-Quan Chen, Email chengyi579593@163.comObjective: To analyze the clinical efficacy of azithromycin in the treatment of pediatric Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia and its impact on platelet count and D-dimer levels.Methods: A comparison was made between the two groups regarding clinical treatment effects, recovery status, levels of blood indicators [C-reactive protein (CRP), white blood cell count (WBC), platelet count (PLT), D-dimer (D-D)], and the occurrence of adverse reactions. The control group received conventional symptomatic treatment, while the case group received both conventional treatment and azithromycin.Results: ① Clinical treatment effects: The total effective rate of treatment in the control group was 84.21%, while it was significantly higher at 96.83% in the case group (P < 0.05). ② Recovery status: After treatment, the case group exhibited significantly shorter durations for fever clearance, cough disappearance, rale disappearance, resolution of chest radiographic shadows, and hospital stay compared to the control group (P < 0.05). ③ Blood indicator levels: After treatment, the levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), white blood cell count (WBC), platelet count (PLT), and D-dimer (D-D) were significantly lower in the case group than in the control group, indicating an improvement in the inflammatory response and blood clotting status.Conclusion: Addition of azithromycin to conventional symptomatic treatment significantly improves the efficacy of Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia treatment in children, reduces inflammatory response, improves blood circulation, further promotes recovery without a substantial increase in related adverse reactions, suggesting its relatively high safety in clinical application and advocating for its clinical promotion.Keywords: azithromycin, pediatric Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia, clinical efficacy, platelet count, D-dimer