Detection of repeated gonorrhea by a modified follow-up method.
The rate of reinfection after treatment was studied in four groups of patients. The first group of 100 patients were evaluated retrospectively after treatment with 1.0 g ampicillin twice followed by two re-examinations over a 2-week period during which time intercourse was prohibited. The second and third prospectively groups consisted of 100 and 200 patients respectively, treated with 1 g ampicillin twice and 1.4 g pivampicillin + probenecid respectively, with re-examinations at intervals of 1 week and 4 weeks after treatment. In these two groups sexual intercourse was allowed during the last 10 days of the follow-up period. The fourth study group consisted of all patients infected with gonococci having MIC greater than or equal to 0.3 micrograms/ml for ampicillin and/or benzylpenicillin, who were treated with 1 g ampicillin twice during the period of 1973-76. In the first group no positive cultures were obtained at re-examination. In groups two and three, 35 out of 300 (12%) were found to have positive cultures at re-examination. Some of these were probably treatment failures. The failure rate in group four was found to be 20%, indicating that the treatment regimen used left a narrow therapeutic margin. However, the risk of re-infection, in this urban clinic, seems to be higher than the risk of treatment failure which would have remained undetected had sexual intercourse been forbidden.
D000667:Ampicillin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003075:Coitus; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006069:Gonorrhea / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D009344:Neisseria gonorrhoeae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010400:Penicillin G / Q000494:pharmacology; D010403:Penicillin Resistance; D010917:Pivampicillin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011339:Probenecid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors
D010917:Pivampicillin; D000667:Ampicillin; D011339:Probenecid; D010400:Penicillin G