Spectinomycin

Abstract

Spectinomycin is a broad-spectrum aminocyclitol antibiotic that is highly effective in the treatment of uncomplicated gonorrhea. It is the drug of choice for the treatment of gonorrhea that fails to respond to other therapy and is a good alternative drug in the treatment of penicillin-allergic patients. Spectinomycin should be considered the drug of choice in the treatment of gonorrhea in areas where penicillinase-producing strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae are prevalent. Spectinomycin is not predictably effective in the treatment of oral pharyngeal gonorrhea but may be used in penicillin-allergic patients with disseminated gonorrhea. While spectinomycin has some activity against other human pathogens, it is unlikely that this agent will be found useful in infections other than those due to Neisseria gonorrhoeae.