The role of azalide antibiotics in the treatment of chlamydia
Article Abstract:
Chlamydia trachomatis is a very common sexually-transmitted bacteria, causing an estimated 4 million infections each year. Infection with C. trachomatis can cause inflammation of the genital tract, urethritis (inflammation of the urethra), infertility, premature birth, and ectopic pregnancy (development of the fetus outside of the uterus). The standard treatment recommended by the Centers for Disease Control for chlamydial infection is oral doxycycline (100 milligrams, two times a day for seven days) or oral tetracycline (500 milligrams, four times a day for seven days). Since treatment with these antibiotics requires multiple doses taken over a one-week-period, patient compliance can be a problem. A relatively new antibiotic called azithromycin was developed with the hope that a single dose could be effective in treating chlamydial infections. Several studies have been performed to compare the effectiveness of azithromycin with doxycycline. These studies found that a single dose of azithromycin (1 gram, given once) was as effective as 14 doses of doxycycline (100 milligrams, two times a day for seven days) in treating patients with chlamydial infections. Both drug treatments cured infections in 92 percent of the patients after one week, and cured 95 percent in two weeks. Both drugs caused mild gastrointestinal side effects. It is concluded that a single dose of azithromycin provides a safe and effective treatment for chlamydial infections. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
Publication Name: American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0002-9378
Year: 1991
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Selective screening versus presumptive treatment criteria for identification of women with chlamydial infection in public clinics: New Jersey
Article Abstract:
Treating high risk women for chlamydia before conclusive test results are known and selectively testing low risk women may be a prudent and cost-effective way of treating most infected women. Chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted disease (STD) in the U.S. Researchers studied chlamydial infection rates of 5128 New Jersey women who attended various public health clinics and compared the effectiveness of presumptive treatment to selective screening. Risk factors for chlamydial infection were young age and attendance at an urban public health clinic. Presumptive treatment of these women would cure more than 85% of women with chlamydial infection, and the money saved from not screening these women could be used to screen asymptomatic women in nonurban areas and non-STD clinics.
Publication Name: American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0002-9378
Year: 1996
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