Azithromycin in non-gonococcal urethritis.

The efficacy and safety of a single 1 g oral dose of azithromycin was evaluated in 100 male patients with non-gonococcal urethritis (NGU). Enrolled were men with > or = 5 polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL)/high power field (HPF) (x 1000 magnification) in a Gram-stained smear of urethral discharge with or without symptoms and signs of NGU. Of the 66 evaluable patients, Chlamydia trachomatis was isolated from 18 cases (27.3%) and Ureaplasma urealyticum from 12 cases (18.2%). After treatment, signs and symptoms disappeared from 59 cases (89.4%). Forty-four cases (66.7%) showed reduced PMNL/HPF. C. trachomatis was eradicated in 18 cases (100%) and U. urealyticum in 12 cases (83.3%). One patient complained of mild dizziness, moderate nausea, and palpitations. Single 1 g oral dose of azithromycin appears to be effective and safe for treating chlamydial, non-chlamydial, and ureaplasmal NGU. In addition, its ease of use encourages patient compliance.

Azithromycin in the treatment of chlamydial cervicitis and eradication of Ureaplasma urealyticum in female lower genital tract.

From May 1995 to May 1996, thirty-six females with chlamydial cervicitis were enrolled at Bangrak Hospital's Venereal Disease Clinic in an open study to assess the efficacy and safety of a single, 1-gram oral dose of azithromycin. Thirty-five had positive C. trachomatis and one had a positive Gen-probe test. Twenty-two returned for their first and second follow-ups and 18 came back for their final follow-up (visit 4). Eradication rate was 100 per cent on all visits. Fourteen patients were excluded from the final analysis- three had dropped out from the beginning, ten had sexual intercourse without a condom and one had a positive Gen-probe test but negative C. trachomatis culture. U. urealyticum was isolated from the vaginal wall of 15 of the 36 cases and eradication rate was 0 per cent at visit 2 and visit 4. In conclusion, this study shows that a single, 1-gram oral dose of azithromycin is an effective and well-tolerated alternative therapy for chlamydial cervicitis.

Rapid Plasma Reagin test (RPR) compared to Venereal Diseases Research Laboratory test (VDRL) for the diagnosis of syphilis in pregnancy.

Obstetric departments which provide service for a large number of patients from different parts of the country and socioeconomic backgrounds like the Obstetric Department of Chulalongkorn hospital, need to develop rapid laboratory tests which can cope with the volume of work and yet provide sound laboratory data for management decisions. We, therefore, undertook a study of the suitable Rapid Plasma Reagin (RPR) test as a diagnostic tool for syphilis in 9,347 pregnant women who attended antenatal clinics at this institute from August 1984 to May 1985. The RPR test was used in addition to the routine serological tests for syphilis namely the VDRL, TPHA and/or FTA-ABS. Analysis of results confirmed that the RPR test fulfilled all laboratory results for clinical requirements. The results from RPR and VDRL were not significantly different. Their sensitivities were 90.86 and 89.95 per cent, their specificities were 99.57 and 99.68 per cent, their positive predictive values were 82.11 and 85.92 per cent, their negative predictive values were 99.8 and 99.78 per cent, and their accuracy was 99.39 and 99.47 per cent respectively. In our study it was found that the RPR test could provide a laboratory diagnosis in 60-90 minutes; in the same morning period when 15-20 prenatal patients were seen for the first time. The above results suggest that the RPR test is a rapid and reliable tool which is particularly suitable for syphilis screening in a busy antenatal clinic. The test enabled all 197 patients with syphilis in pregnancy to be treated promptly and without any loss of follow-up.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Treatment of sexual contacts of syphilitic pregnant women.

Between August 1984 and May 1985, 197 syphilitic pregnant women were diagnosed at the antenatal clinic, Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University. One hundred and sixty-nine male sexual contacts were serologically tested for syphilis and seventy-eight cases were found positive. Twenty-eight cases refused to be tested. Thirty-two syphilitic male contacts had cerebrospinal fluid tests and four were found to be abnormal. Fifty-three cases or 67.9 per cent of 78 syphilitic male consorts did not complete a full diagnostic and treatment protocol. They preferred to be treated with benzathine penicillin G 2.4 million units intramuscularly for 3 consecutive weeks. After this treatment no patient agreed to a repeat spinal tap. This behavioral attitude concurred with their socioeconomic background. All were from a low socioeconomic group and lacked health knowledge. This made it difficult to work with them and contributed to inadequate management of their disease.

Effectiveness of benzathine penicillin regimen in the treatment of syphilis in pregnancy.

The intramuscular injection of benzathine penicillin G 2.4 million units weekly for 3 consecutive weeks to syphilitic pregnant women was again confirmed to be clinically effective for prevention of their neonates from congenital syphilis and well accepted as treatment for syphilis in pregnancy. It was administered to 184 cases, or 93.5 per cent, of 197 syphilitic gravidas. It was found that pregnancy outcomes in terms of abortion, stillbirth, prematurity, full term delivery, neonatal birth weight, macroscopic examination of the placenta and general physical examination of the neonate were clinically useful as a parameter to evaluate the effectiveness of the therapy for the infant. Clinical symptoms and signs in the mother, serological tests for syphilis in the gravida and cord blood of the newborn, and placental weight were not useful in the evaluation of adequacy of treatment of our study group.