Efficacy of ofloxacin in uncomplicated gonorrhoea

Abstract

A randomised double blind trial comparing single oral dose therapy with 200 mg and 400 mg of ofloxacin, respectively was conducted at the Bangrak Hospital, Bangkok during the period December 6, 1985 to January 24, 1986. We treated 234 male patients diagnosed as having uncomplicated gonococcal urethritis with ofloxacin. Ofloxacin, at a single dose of 200 mg or 400 mg, was given to each of them. Fourteen patients were excluded for efficacy assessment. There were 223 patients left for safety assessment. The cure rates were 100% in both groups. Among 233 isolates tested, 48.5% were penicillinase producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The range of minimum inhibitory concentrations of ofloxacin was 0.008 to 0.063 mg/l. No adverse drug experiences were reported.

Fluoroquinolone antimicrobial agents

“…Single doses of norfloxacin (61, 638), ciprofloxacin (628,677,690,761), ofloxacin (15), and enoxacin (552,760,802) have all failed to prevent the development of postgonococcal urethritis in men, and in some studies a high frequency of persistence of Chlamydia trachomatis has been documented. More prolonged therapy for 7 to 10 days with norfloxacin (75) and ciprofloxacin (235) has also produced little or limited eradication of Chlamydia trachomatis in patients with nongonococcal urethritis.…”

“…Norfloxacin eradicated equally well N. gonorrhoeae susceptible or resistant to penicillin and produced results comparable to those with spectinomycin in a nonrandomized comparative study (127). Ciprofloxacin (100 to 500 mg) (467,628,677,690,761), ofloxacin (200 to 600 mg) (15,89,622), enoxacin (400 to 600 mg) (552,705,760,802), and fleroxacin (400 mg) (57, 438) in single doses have also been highly effective in curing uncomplicated gonorrhea. Infections involving the urethra or uterine cervix were almost uniformly cured.…”

Treatment of genitourinary tract infections with fluoroquinolones: clinical efficacy in genital infections and adverse effects

“…Other open or comparative studies with single doses of norfloxacin (800 mg) (9, 44), ciprofloxacin (100 to 500 mg) (30,48,56), ofloxacin (200 to 600 mg) (3,14,33,42), enoxacin (200 to 600 mg) (4,38,50,55,60), or fleroxacin (400 mg) (8) confirmed the efficacy of fluoroquinolones in the treatment of uncomplicated gonorrhea. Treatment failures for gonococcal urethritis or cervicitis have been rare with these agents, except for patients treated with lower doses of enoxacin.…”

“…Infections caused by penicillinase-producing N. gonorrhoeae strains (3,4,9,11,15,27,30,38,39,46,48,50,55,56,60) and strains with chromosomally mediated resistance to penicillin (11) responded similarly to those caused by penicillin-susceptible strains.…”

“…None of the currently available antimicrobial agents, including fluoroquinolones, is effective as a single dose in eradicating C. trachomatis genital infections, which most often occur as the syndrome of nongonococcal urethritis (NGU) or mucopurulent cervicitis. Studies which used single doses of norfloxacin (44), ciprofloxacin (30,43,48), ofloxacin (6,42), enoxacin (55,60), or fleroxacin (29) for the treatment of gonorrhea uniformly reported the substantial persistence of C. trachomatis or the development of postgonococcal urethritis (3,9,38,46,56), which is often caused by C. trachomatis.…”