title: Comparison of erythromycin base and estolate in gonococcal urethritis.
abstract: A randomized double-blind trial of 152 men with gonococcal urethritis compared the therapeutic efficacy of erythromycin estolate and erythromycin base. Twenty-one of 86 (24%) men treated with the estolate and 15 of 66 (23%) treated with the base had recurrent or persistent gonococcal infection when seen after a 9-g course of erythromycin. The serum erythromycin activity among estolate-treated patients (3.57 +/- 0.84 microgram/ml) was nearly twice that for base-treated patients (1.76 +/- 0.80 microgram/ml). Our findings do not support routine use of erythromycin for treatment of pregnant, penicillin-allergic patients.
mesh_terms: D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004917:Erythromycin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004918:Erythromycin Estolate / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006069:Gonorrhea / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009305:Nasopharynx / Q000382:microbiology; D009344:Neisseria gonorrhoeae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014526:Urethritis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D004917:Erythromycin; D004918:Erythromycin Estolate