THE CLINICAL-EXPERIENCE WITH OFLOXACIN IN THE TREATMENT OF SEXUALLY-TRANSMITTED DISEASES

Sexually transmitted diseases are an important cause of morbidity in women. Some of the common causes of sexually transmitted disease include Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis, and in some patients Ureaplasma urealyticum. N. gonorrhoeae has become more resistant to traditional therapies including penicillin. Resistance to penicillin is mediated by the elaboration of beta-lactamase for most organisms and by chromosomal resistance in others. Resistance to tetracycline and spectinomycin has been clearly identified, as has an increase in the minimum inhibitory concentrations to some cephalosporins. Because of the potential for concomitant infection with N. gonorrhoeae and C. trachomatis, many patients are currently treated with a combination of a single dose of ceftriaxone plus a tetracycline for 7 days. Therefore it is significant that a single agent, ofloxacin, has been introduced recently for the treatment of such mixed infections. It also has the potential for treating N. gonorrhoeae resistant to other drugs.