SINGLE-DOSE OF AZITHROMYCIN FOR THE TREATMENT OF GENITAL CHLAMYDIAL INFECTIONS IN ADOLESCENTS

We compared a single 1 gm dose of azithromycin with the standard 7-day course of doxycycline for the treatment of uncomplicated chlamydial g enital infection in sexually active adolescents. Seventy-three adolesc ents (65 female) with a cervical or urethral culture positive for Chla mydia trachomatis were enrolled in the study; 46 received azithromycin and 27 received doxycycline. Follow-up evaluations were done 1, 2, an d 4 weeks after treatment with azithromycin or initiation of treatment with doxycycline. There were four treatment failures (8.7%) among the patients who received azithromycin and four in the doxycycline-treate d group (14.8%); all were female. Six of these girls (three treated wi th azithromycin and three with doxycycline) gave histories of unprotec ted intercourse with an untreated partner and were probably reinfected . Almost half the patients were clinically symptom free. The clinical response rate for the remaining patients with symptoms was 97.4% at 4 weeks. Nineteen percent of the azithromycin-treated patients and 33.3% of those treated with doxycycline hod mild to moderate drug-related s ide effects, which were predominantly gastrointestinal. We conclude th at treatment with a single oral dose of azithromycin appears to be as safe and efficacious as a 7-day course of doxycyline for the treatment of uncomplicated genital chlamydial infection in adolescents.