A comparison of single-dose cefixime with ceftriaxone as treatment for uncomplicated gonorrhea
Article Abstract:
Gonorrhea, a common sexually transmitted disease, is caused by the bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Unfortunately, this microorganism is proving increasingly resistant to the mainstays of gonorrhea treatment, penicillin and tetracycline. The currently recommended treatment for gonorrhea is ceftriaxone, an antibiotic of the cephalosporin class. However, ceftriaxone must be administered by intramuscular injection, and for many clinics, intramuscular injections are inconvenient. There is also a desire to decrease the use of needles whenever possible, especially among patients with sexually transmitted diseases, who may be at high risk for infection with the AIDS virus. For these reasons, it would be desirable to have an antibiotic that is just as effective as ceftriaxone, but can be administered by mouth. Cefixime, a cephalosporin that is taken by mouth, was tested in a study of 333 individuals who were infected with N. gonorrhoeae. The patients, 209 men and 124 women, were randomly assigned to receive either an intramuscular injection of ceftriaxone or an oral dose of cefixime. Eighty-nine of 93 patients who received a 400 milligram dose of cefixime were cured of their infection, as were 86 of 88 patients who were given an 800 milligram dose of cefixime. Similarly, 92 of 94 patients who received ceftriaxone were cured. These results indicate that cefixime, whether given in a 400 or 800 milligram oral dose, is as effective as the currently recommended injection of ceftriaxone, and may prove to be a useful alternative in many clinics. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
Publication Name: The New England Journal of Medicine
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0028-4793
Year: 1991
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Enoxacin in the therapy of anal and pharyngeal gonococcal infections
Article Abstract:
Neisseria gonorrhoeae is the bacteria responsible for the sexually transmitted disease gonorrhea. Gonorrhea infections can be found in the throat (pharyngeal gonorrhea) and in the anus and rectum (anorectal gonorrhea). The use of enoxacin antibiotic drug therapy is evaluated in 51 patients with anal or pharyngeal gonorrhea. Two doses of enoxacin, 200 mg and 400 mg, were given twice a day for two days. Gonorrhea was eliminated in all 34 patients infected with anal gonorrhea and 12 out of 13 pharyngeal infections. Drug side effects included nausea, headache and fatigue which was reported in two out of 47 patients (4.3 percent). Enoxacin is considered a safe and effective treatment for uncomplicated pharyngeal and anorectal gonorrhea.
Publication Name: Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0148-5717
Year: 1989
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- Abstracts: Multicenter, comparative study of enoxacin and ceftriaxone for treatment of uncomplicated gonorrhea. Single dose enoxacin for the treatment of uncomplicated urogenital gonorrhea
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