title: Clindamycin therapy for Chlamydia trachomatis in women.
abstract: The population for this study consisted of 4013 sexually active women seen for family planning. Culture for Chlamydia trachomatis yielded an isolation rate of 6.1%. Women aged 16 to 25 accounted for 81.7% of the C. trachomatis infections, while those younger than 16 or older than 35 accounted for only 2.4% of the infections. Of the 246 patients whose cultures were positive for C. trachomatis, 159 (65%) were asymptomatic. The incidence of C. trachomatis was 11.2% among those with symptoms but only 6.4% among the asymptomatic group. Among 63 patients with Neisseria gonorrhoeae (who were excluded from the study), 26 (41.3%) also were infected by C. trachomatis. There were no microbiologic drug failures with erythromycin or clindamycin. Of 56 patients who enrolled in the clindamycin arm of the protocol, 48 (85.7%) completed therapy and experienced microbiologic and clinical cures. In contrast, erythromycin therapy was completed by only 25 of 57 women (43.9%) enrolled. The number of side effect failures for erythromycin was 22 of 57 (38.6%). This was more than five times the number of side effect failures for clindamycin (4 of 56, or 7.1%).
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City 37614.
authors.forename: W F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Dodson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis; D002981:Clindamycin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004917:Erythromycin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008219:Lymphogranuloma Venereum / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D002575:Uterine Cervicitis / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D002981:Clindamycin; D004917:Erythromycin