A randomized trial that compared oral cefixime and intramuscular ceftriaxone for the treatment of gonorrhea in pregnancy.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to evaluate prospectively the Centers for Disease Control recommendations for the treatment of gonococcal infection in pregnancy.


METHODS
One hundred sixty-one women who were referred with probable endocervical gonorrhea underwent pretreatment endocervical, anal, and oral cultures for Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The women were randomly assigned to receive ceftriaxone 125 mg intramuscularly or cefixime 400 mg orally. Treatment was open and in a 1:1 distribution. There were 95 evaluable patients. The tests of cure cultures were performed 4 to 10 days after treatment.


RESULTS
Eighty-six women (91%) had endocervical infection; 39 women (41%) had anal infection, and 11 women (12%) had pharyngeal infection. Fifty of 95 women (53%) had concomitant endocervical chlamydial infection. The overall efficacy was 91 of 95 subjects (95.8%; 95% CI, 89.6%-98.8%). Ceftriaxone was effective in 41 of 43 cases (95%; 95% CI, 84.2%-99.4%), and cefixime was effective in 50 of 52 cases (96%; 95% CI, 86.8%-99.5%). No significant difference was noted in the overall efficacy or by site of infection. Three of the 4 women who experienced treatment failures admitted to unprotected intercourse before their test of cure culture.


CONCLUSIONS
Both intramuscular ceftriaxone 125 mg and oral cefixime 400 mg appear to be effective for the treatment of gonococcal infection in pregnancy.
Ramus
R M
RM
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas 75390-9032, USA. ronald.ramus@utsouthwestern.edu
Sheffield
J S
JS
Mayfield
J A
JA
Wendel
G D
GD
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001004:Anus Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy; D020682:Cefixime / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002443:Ceftriaxone / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002511:Cephalosporins / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006069:Gonorrhea / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D010608:Pharyngeal Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D002577:Uterine Cervical Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy
D002511:Cephalosporins; D002443:Ceftriaxone; D020682:Cefixime