Thiamphenicol in the treatment of gonococcal infections: a comparative trial with penicillin and spectinomycin.

The efficacy of thiamphenicol for treatment of uncomplicated gonococcal infection was compared with that of penicillin and spectinomycin in 370 women confined in the clinic to preclude reinfection before evaluation of treatment. Thiamphenicol (2.5 g perorally) was highly effective against beta-lactamase-producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae, but the failure rate in infections with non-beta-lactamase-producing N. gonorrhoeae was high. This rate was not, however, significantly higher than that for beta-lactamase-producing strains. The failure rate with thiamphenicol was significantly higher than that with spectinomycin (2 g im) in the treatment of infections due to beta-lactamase-producing N. gonorrhoeae but was essentially similar to that observed with aqueous procaine penicillin G (4.8 X 10(6) units im) plus probenecid (1 g perorally) among non-beta-lactamase-producing N. gonorrhoeae. Therefore thiamphenicol may be used as an alternative therapy for gonorrhea, especially for infections due to beta-lactamase-producing strains.