A retrospective study on the effectiveness of a screening effort to reduce the complications of gonorrhea

In an effort to evaluate the effectiveness of a mass screening program for gonorrhea, a retrospective study was carried out on patients admitted to the hospital with the diagnosis of acute and chronic salpingitis. This study was done at the Confederate Memorial Medical Center in Shreveport, Louisiana. Admissions were reviewed for the year prior to the screening program, and compared to the numbers that were admitted after 2 years of screening. A 70% increase was found to have occurred despite extensive efforts to identify and treat asymptomatic women with gonorrhea, and their male contacts. This finding contrasts dramatically with the experience of others who have reported success in reducing the spread of gonorrhea by such a screening program.