Oropharyngeal gonorrhoea: rate of co-infection with sexually transmitted infection, antibiotic susceptibility and treatment outcome

Int J STD AIDS. 2010 Feb;21(2):138-40. doi: 10.1258/ijsa.2009.009167. Epub 2009 Nov 2.

Abstract

The aim of the present study is to investigate the rate of co-infections with other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), antibiotic susceptibility and management of oropharyngeal gonorrhoea diagnosed in a busy genitourinary medicine clinic. The method involved a retrospective study on consecutive patients diagnosed with oropharyngeal gonorrhoea. A total of 131 patients were diagnosed with oropharyngeal gonorrhoea over the study period. The median age of the infected patients was 28 (interquartile range: 22 to 35) years. Forty-one (31%) of patients were younger than 24 years. High rates of co-infection with urethral gonorrhoea (37%), rectal gonorrhoea (37%) or chlamydial infection (16%) were identified. Thirty patients (23%) had only oropharyngeal infection. Twenty-two (17%) patients' isolates showed resistance to at least one antibiotic. Antibiotic resistance among oropharyngeal gonococcal isolates was above 5% between 2000 and 2009. Test-of-cure (TOC) was carried out for only 63 (48%) of patients; none had positive culture. Among 46 isolates treated with cefixime 400 mg/stat, 27 (59%) had TOC; all were negative. Repeat TOC was not carried out for any of the patients. In conclusion, successful management of oropharyngeal gonorrhoea should comprise of counselling, partner notification and TOC after treatment with appropriate antibiotic regimen.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
  • Chlamydia Infections / diagnosis
  • Chlamydia Infections / drug therapy
  • Chlamydia Infections / epidemiology
  • Comorbidity
  • Drug Resistance, Bacterial*
  • Female
  • Gonorrhea / diagnosis
  • Gonorrhea / drug therapy
  • Gonorrhea / epidemiology*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Medical Audit*
  • Mouth Diseases / diagnosis
  • Mouth Diseases / drug therapy
  • Mouth Diseases / epidemiology*
  • Mouth Diseases / microbiology
  • Neisseria gonorrhoeae / drug effects*
  • Neisseria gonorrhoeae / isolation & purification
  • Pharyngeal Diseases / diagnosis
  • Pharyngeal Diseases / drug therapy
  • Pharyngeal Diseases / epidemiology*
  • Pharyngeal Diseases / microbiology
  • Rectal Diseases / diagnosis
  • Rectal Diseases / drug therapy
  • Rectal Diseases / epidemiology
  • Rectal Diseases / microbiology
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Sexually Transmitted Diseases / diagnosis
  • Sexually Transmitted Diseases / drug therapy
  • Sexually Transmitted Diseases / epidemiology*
  • Treatment Outcome
  • United Kingdom

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents