In a 3-month period four episodes of bacterial sepsis related to contaminated random donor platelet concentrates were observed. Evaluation incriminated extended (5 or more days) platelet storage. To determine if platelets stored for longer periods were likely to have greater bacterial contamination, platelet concentrates were inoculated with bacteria and daily quantitative bacteriology was performed. In vitro studies using polyolefin bags indicated contamination could occur with a single organism of Staphylococcus epidermidis. By 72 hours, platelet concentrates contained from 10(3) to 10(8) organisms per 0.1 ml depending on the inoculum size. By 6 days all inoculated units contained 10(7) to 10(9) organisms per 0.1 ml.

In the treatment of uncomplicated gonorrhea, a single dose of cefixime (400 or 800 mg) given orally appears to be as effective as the currently recommended regimen of ceftriaxone (250 mg given intramuscularly).

Neither cell culture nor a rapid diagnostic test performed well for ensuring therapy of women with Chlamydia infections. The sensitivity of the rapid diagnostic test was low, and nearly one fourth of the women with positive screening cultures did not return for therapy. Evaluation of screening for Chlamydia should consider the utility of strategies for bringing patients to treatment, as well as the more usual measures of test performance, such as sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values.

Between April 1988 and May 1989, 400 males and 400 females attending a Baltimore, Maryland, sexually transmitted disease clinic were enrolled in a study evaluating and comparing behaviors associated with culture-proven gonococcal or chlamydial infection. The subjects were enrolled consecutively, and were all seen by the same clinician. Among participants of each sex, gonorrhea but not chlamydia was associated with increasing numbers of recent (the past 30 days) sexual partners. Compared with males with neither infection, factors independently associated with increased risk of gonorrhea included age less than 20 years (odds ratio (OR) = 1.93), the presence of genitourinary symptoms (OR = 8.07), and recent exposure to a new sexual partner (OR = 2.78); risk for chlamydial infection in males was associated with genitourinary symptoms (OR = 2.83) and was significantly reduced in those reporting multiple recent (OR = 0.19) or new (OR = 0.07) sexual partners. Among females, age less than 20 years was independently associated with gonococcal (OR = 1.86) and chlamydial (OR = 7.79) infections in comparison with females with neither infection. No other behavioral factors were associated with chlamydial infection for females in this study; however, having a regular sexual partner was associated with significantly elevated risk of gonorrhea (OR = 3.85), while the presence of genital tract symptoms was associated with diminished risk (OR = 0.29) for gonorrhea. These data suggest that there are differences in the behaviors associated with gonorrheal and chlamydial infections and that different strategies may be useful in efforts to control these infections.

Studies were carried out to evaluate the prevalence and risk factors for antibiotic-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections. Monthly surveillance of gonococcal isolates showed the prevalence of gonococci with high-level, plasmid-mediated tetracycline resistance (TRNG) to be about 15% for three consecutive 6-mo periods. Over the same period, the prevalence of gonococci with chromosomally mediated resistance to penicillin G steadily increased, from 0% to 9% and then to 21%. From April to July 1987, while chromosomally mediated penicillin resistance was rapidly increasing, a more intensive study was conducted. Patients infected with TRNG reported significantly more lifetime sexual partners (P less than .05) but otherwise resembled patients infected with antibiotic-sensitive gonococci. Patients infected with chromosomally mediated penicillin-resistant gonococci differed from other patients. In addition to reporting more lifetime partners (P less than .05), patients with chromosomally mediated penicillin-resistant gonorrhea were more likely to be older (P less than .05) and more often reported past episodes of gonorrhea (P less than .05), greater numbers of recent sexual partners (P less than .05), new sexual partners (P less than .05), prostitute contact (P = .06), and parenteral drug use or sexual partners who were drug users (P = .07). The introduction of antibiotic-resistant N. gonorrhoeae into communities may be attributable to a subset of patients who practice "risky behaviors" and who could be targeted for disease intervention activities.