Management of gonococcal infection among adults and youth: New key recommendations.

OBJECTIVE: To provide recommendations on the management of gonococcal infection among adults and youth. QUALITY OF EVIDENCE: Treatment recommendations in the Canadian guidelines on sexually transmitted infections are based on review of the literature, as well as the grades of recommendations and the levels of evidence quality determined by a minimum of 2 reviewers. The recommendations are peer-reviewed and require approval by the expert working group. MAIN MESSAGE: The new key recommendations for managing gonococcal infection among adults and youth include using culture as a diagnostic tool when practical, providing treatment with combination antibiotic therapy (ceftriaxone combined with azithromycin), and promptly reporting all cases with treatment failure to public health.
CONCLUSION: Following these new key recommendations might reduce treatment failure, contribute to better surveillance of antibiotic-resistance trends in Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and contribute to the prevention of transmission of multidrug-resistant gonorrhea. Copyright© the College of Family Physicians of Canada.