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Gonorrhea. Finding and treating a moving target
1Division of Infectious Disease, Wright State University School of Medicine, Dayton, Ohio.
Postgraduate Medicine
|August 1, 1993
Summary
Gonorrhea, a common reportable disease, is increasingly resistant to antibiotics. New treatments like oral cefixime or quinolones are effective for uncomplicated cases, while severe infections require intravenous antibiotics.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Infectious Diseases
- Microbiology
Background:
- Gonorrhea is the most common reportable infectious disease in the United States.
- Epidemiological changes include increased drug abuse, sex-for-drugs exchanges, and sexual promiscuity, particularly among Black teenagers.
- Asymptomatic male carriers and rising antibiotic resistance pose significant challenges to gonorrhea control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current epidemiology and treatment of gonorrhea.
- To highlight challenges in disease control due to asymptomatic carriers and antibiotic resistance.
- To discuss effective treatment strategies for uncomplicated and disseminated gonorrhea.
Main Methods:
- Review of current literature on gonorrhea epidemiology and treatment.
- Analysis of changing trends in infection rates and causative factors.
- Evaluation of antibiotic efficacy and resistance patterns.
Main Results:
- Gonorrhea epidemiology is shifting due to social and behavioral factors.
- Increasing resistance to traditional antibiotics necessitates alternative treatments.
- Oral cefixime or quinolones show promise for uncomplicated gonorrhea.
- Intravenous antibiotics like ceftriaxone or cefotaxime are crucial for serious infections.
Conclusions:
- Effective management of gonorrhea requires addressing epidemiological changes and antibiotic resistance.
- Single-dose oral therapies are practical for uncomplicated gonorrhea.
- Prompt hospitalization and intravenous antibiotics are vital for severe and disseminated infections.