Clinical problems in the antibiotic treatment of gonorrhoea

Abstract

After briefly reviewing the history of penicillin therapy in gonorrhoea, the author shows that the number of cures effected with the repository penicillins, although originally very high, has diminished considerably in recent years, despite a general tendency to increase the dosage. The reduced efficacy of PAM and benzathine penicillin is demonstrated by an exposition of the current results obtained with these two preparations in the treatment of gonorrhoea patients in London. Some of the difficulties involved in distinguishing between treatment failures and reinfections are discussed.The paper continues with an examination of the possible alternatives to repository penicillin in the treatment of gonorrhoea. Data are given on the comparative efficacy of a number of prepations, including mixed penicillins, phenoxymethyl penicillin and various other antibiotics, such as streptomycin and the tetracycline group.The problem of re-examination of treated gonorrhoea cases is also dealt with, practical reasons being given for restricting the period of follow-up to three weeks.Finally, in a discussion of possible future developments, the author suggests a number of measures designed to prevent a further loss of sensitivity to penicillin in the gonococcus.