title: Single-dose treatment of gonococcal urethritis in males: evaluation of procaine penicillin, ampicillin and spectinomycin.
abstract: Males with acute gonococcal urethritis were treated at random with 2.4 million units aqueous procaine penicillin G intramuscularly plus 1.0 g. probenecid orally, 3.5 g. ampicillin orally plus 1.0 g. probenecid orally, or 2.0 g. spectinomycin intramuscularly. The overall follow-up was 97%. All treatments were of equal efficacy, eradication of gonococcal disease being observed in 93 to 97% of treated patients. Treatment failures occurred in each drug group and pre-treatment isolates recovered from these cases showed decreased susceptibility to the agent used. Aqueous procaine penicillin G plus probenecid remains the preferred therapy for gonorrhea. For patients hypersensitive to penicillin, spectinomycin is currently a reasonable alternative drug. This agent, unlike procaine penicillin-probenecid, is probably ineffective against concurrent incubating syphilis, and future development of bacterial resistance is a definite possibility.
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000667:Ampicillin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006069:Gonorrhea / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009344:Neisseria gonorrhoeae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010402:Penicillin G Procaine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011339:Probenecid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000198:Spectinomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014521:Urethra / Q000382:microbiology; D014526:Urethritis / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D010402:Penicillin G Procaine; D000667:Ampicillin; D000198:Spectinomycin; D011339:Probenecid