title: Audit of the use of benzathine penicillin, post-treatment syphilis serology and partner notification of patients with early infectious syphilis.
abstract: Recent increases in the incidence of early infectious syphilis have been particularly noted in men who have sex with men (MSM). Case-notes of 40 consecutive patients with infectious syphilis and follow-up data for one year were audited. Of the 40 patients, six were HIV co-infected. In all, 31 men received benzathine penicillin as first line while the remaining had other treatments. About 17 (42.5%) failed to attend for any post-treatment serological tests. Of the remainder, 17 (42.5%) attended for the first appointment and only 13 (32.5%) attended for the full one year follow-up. In all, 40 men in the study had 362 sexual contacts of which only 44 (12.2%) elected to be screened. This study illustrates the successful use of benzathine penicillin as first-line treatment, lack of patient compliance with post-treatment serological follow-up and difficulty with partner notification.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genito-Urinary Medicine, Sunderland Royal Hospital, UK. mayur.chauhan@chs.northy.nhs.uk
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chauhan
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Serisha
authors.forename: K N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Sankar
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Pattman
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Schmid
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016358:Contact Tracing; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008485:Medical Audit; D008875:Middle Aged; D010401:Penicillin G Benzathine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000635:transmission; D013587:Syphilis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D013588:Syphilis Serodiagnosis
chemical_list: D010401:Penicillin G Benzathine