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The Role of Fluoroquinolones in Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Author(s) -
Tartaglione Teresa A.,
Hooton Thomas M.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
pharmacotherapy: the journal of human pharmacology and drug therapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.227
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1875-9114
pISSN - 0277-0008
DOI - 10.1002/j.1875-9114.1993.tb02724.x
Subject(s) - neisseria gonorrhoeae , ofloxacin , lomefloxacin , urethritis , ciprofloxacin , ureaplasma urealyticum , chlamydia trachomatis , medicine , microbiology and biotechnology , sexually transmitted disease , haemophilus ducreyi , treponema , pelvic inflammatory disease , levofloxacin , antibiotics , virology , syphilis , biology , haemophilus influenzae , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , gynecology , mycoplasma , pasteurellaceae
The management of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) has reached a new level in the era of antibiotic resistance and human immunodeficiency virus infection. To date, no single antimicrobial is capable of eradicating the commonly encountered STD pathogens including Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis , and Treponema pallidum. Among the marketed fluoroquinolones, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, lomefloxacin, and enoxacin all provide excellent in vitro activity (MIC 90 < 0.06 μg/ml) and excellent in vivo efficacy against N. gonorrhoeae , including multiply resistant isolates (penicillinase‐producing N. gonorrhoeae and chromosomally mediated resistant N. gonorrhoeae ). Ofloxacin is the only fluoroquinolone approved by the Food and Drug Administration for chlamydial infection. All of the quinolones lack reliable in vitro activity against Ureaplasma urealyticum , a cause of nongonococcal urethritis. Although limited data suggest the usefulness of ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin in the treatment of pelvic inflammatory disease, these drugs cannot currently be recommended for single‐agent therapy. Haemophilus ducreyi infections, however, can be managed effectively with the fluoroquinolones. Although their role continues to evolve, this class of drugs cannot be used equally to treat all STDs, and notably, no quinolone to date inhibits T. pallidum.