Erythromycin is used to treat a wide range of bacterial infections including respiratory tract infections skin infections eye infections and certain sexually transmitted infections.

The purpose of erythromycin is to stop the growth of susceptible bacteria by inhibiting bacterial protein synthesis thereby helping to treat bacterial infections.

Erythromycin is a macrolide antibiotic that is effective against many Gram-positive bacteria and some Gram-negative bacteria and it is commonly prescribed when penicillin cannot be used.