Azithromycin treatment failures in syphilis infections--San Francisco, California, 2002-2003.
The San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) is investigating several clinical failures in syphilis patients treated with the macrolide antibiotic azithromycin. This report describes the use of azithromycin for syphilis treatment, recent treatment failures in San Francisco, and CDC recommendations for syphilis treatment. Clinicians should exercise caution in using azithromycin for treating incubating syphilis or syphilis infection until the risk and mechanism of failure are better understood.
D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017963:Azithromycin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012495:San Francisco / Q000453:epidemiology; D013587:Syphilis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D017211:Treatment Failure; D014210:Treponema pallidum / Q000187:drug effects*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D017963:Azithromycin