Comparison of single-dose ceftizoxime or ceftriaxone in the treatment of uncomplicated urethral gonorrhea

Article Abstract:

Gonorrhea is an important sexually transmitted disease whose causative agent, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, is increasingly resistant to antibiotics. Currently, treatment recommendations call for a single dose (250 milligrams intramuscularly) of ceftriaxone (CX). This drug and another agent known as ceftizoxime (CF) are third-generation cephalosporins. A comparative study was carried out of the effectiveness and costs of both drugs for treating uncomplicated urethral gonorrhea among heterosexual male jail inmates. A total of 106 patients received CF (one dose, 250 milligrams) and 98 received CX (one dose, 250 milligrams). Strains of the gonorrhea-causing organism that produced penicillinase (an enzyme that inactivates penicillin) were found in 25 of the CF patients and 27 of the CX patients. All cases of gonorrhea were cured and no adverse effects were reported. As the number of gonorrhea cases resistant to penicillin increases, other agents are being recommended more often for treating the disease. CF and CX appear equally effective. Ceftizoxime, however, is considerably less expensive than ceftriaxone; a dose of CF costs between $2.37 and $2.56, compared with $7.15 to $8.70 per dose for CX. These results indicate that ceftizoxime is as effective as ceftriaxone for treating male patients with gonorrhea and that use of this agent should be increased in settings where large numbers of patients are treated. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Ceftriaxone

---

Treatment of uncomplicated gonococcal urethritis with single-dose ceftizoxime

Article Abstract:

Treatment of gonorrhea is increasingly difficult because of the development of new strains of gonorrheal bacteria that are resistant to the usual antibiotics. Penicillin was previously the drug of choice for treatment of gonorrhea, but third-generation cephalosporins, which are not inactivated in the same way that penicillin is, have now become the main therapeutic option. The effectiveness of single doses of ceftizoxime, one of the cephalosporins, was studied in 175 men with gonococcal urethritis. Ceftizoxime, at a dose of 500 milligrams (mg) was given to 125 patients, while 50 patients received single 250 mg dosages. Lower doses were not given, as to do so might facilitate the development of ceftizoxime-resistant bacteria. The patients had single-focus uncomplicated infections, and none were allergic to penicillin. Penicillin-resistant bacterial strains were present in 4 of the 125 patients tested, a lower prevalence than usual. All patients given either dose were cured of infection. No adverse effects were noted. The results indicate that 250 mg ceftizoxime is effective against gonorrhea and can provide a cost savings over a 500 mg dose, a significant factor for institutions such as prisons, which treat large numbers of gonorrhea-infected individuals. Further study of the use of 250 mg ceftizoxime is needed. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Drug resistance in microorganisms, Microbial drug resistance, Dosage and administration

---

Cefotetan therapy for gonococcal urethritis and cervicitis

Article Abstract:

Many strains of bacteria have become resistant to penicillin; this resistance is the result of an enzyme called beta-lactamase, which is produced by the bacteria. However, cefotetan has been shown to be highly resistant to beta-lactamase, and is an effective antibiotic for a wide spectrum of organisms, including gram-negative enteric bacteria, Hemophilus influenzae, and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The safety and efficacy of cefotetan was evaluated at a New Orleans sexually transmitted disease clinic in 96 men and 76 women. Doses of 0.5 and 1.0 grams of cefotetan were compared with 0.25 grams of ceftriaxone in the treatment of gonococcal infection of the urethra and the uterine cervix. Evaluation after four to eight days was possible in 123 cases; the gonococcal bacteria could be cultured from only two patients after treatment. Adverse effects were observed in only four patients, and none were clinically significant. The results indicate that cefotetan is as effective as ceftriaxone, and is a useful and practical agent for the single-dose treatment of acute gonorrhea. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Sexually transmitted diseases, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Cefotetan

Similar abstracts:

• Abstracts: Multicenter study of a single 500-mg dose of cefotaxime for treatment of uncomplicated gonorrhea. Gonorrhea prevalence in the Maryland state prisons
• Abstracts: A comparison of ceftriaxone and cefuroxime for the treatment of bacterial meningitis in children. Brief report: disseminated osteomyelitis from Mycobacterium ulcerans after a snakebite
• Abstracts: A comparison of flurbiprofen, tranexamic acid, and a levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine contraceptive device in the treatment of idiopathic menorrhagia
• Abstracts: Comparison of rehabilitation in patients undergoing home dialysis. Clubbing in hypersensitivity pneumonitis: its prevalence and possible prognostic role
• Abstracts: Monitoring TSH concentrations during treatment for congenital hypothyroidism. 5-alpha-reductase deficiency without hypospadias

This website is not affiliated with document authors or copyright owners. This page is provided for informational purposes only. Unintentional errors are possible.