STI Flashcards
Bacterial STIs
- Chlamydia
- Gonorrhea
- Syphilis
S/Sx of Chlamydia (Women)
- Often asymptomatic
- Cervix that bleeds easily
- Spotting or post-coital bleeding
- Thin, watery, yellow vaginal discharge
- Dysuria
S/Sx of Chlamydia (Men)
- Mild to severe dysuria
2. Urethral itching
Screening (Chlamydia)
All pregnant women should be cultured for chlamydia at 1st prenatal visit
- May be repeated at 36 weeks gestation if
- Previously positive
- Less than 25 years old
- Has a new sex partner or multiple sex partners
Chlamydia Diagnosis
Culture
Chlamydia Complications (Mothers)
- Pelvic inflammatory disease
- Ectopic pregnancy
- Tubal factor infertility
- Increased risk for acquiring HIV infection
Chlamydia Complications (Baby)
Most common cause of ophthalmia neonatorum
- More than half of infants born to mothers with untreated chlamydia will develop conjunctivitis or pneumonia after perinatal exposure to the mother’s infected cervix
Chlamydia Treatment for Non-Pregnant Women
- Doxycycline 100 mg orally BID for 7 days
2. Azithromycin 1 g PO as a single dose
Chlamydia Treatment for Pregnant Women
- Azithromycin 1 g PO as a single dose
2. Amoxicillin 500 mg PO TID for 7 days
Chlamydia Testing
- All exposed sexual partners should be treated
- No need for retesting if treated with recommended or alternative therapy, unless symptoms continue
- Recommended that pregnant women be retested 3 weeks after treatment
S/Sx of Gonorrhea (Women)
- Often asymptomatic
- Purulent, greenish-yellow vaginal discharge (usually minimal or absent)
- Menstrual irregularities
- Chronic or acute severe pelvic or lower abdominal pain
- Dysuria
- Urinary frequency
S/Sx of Gonorrhea (Men)
- Most produce symptoms
- Dysuria
- Penile discharge (pus)
- Arthritis
Maternal Complications of Gonorrhea
- Premature ROM
- Premature birth
- Chorioamnionitis
- Intrauterine growth restriction
- Postpartum sepsis
Neonatal Complications of Gonorrhea
- Neonatal sepsis
2. Ophthalmia neonatorum
Gonorrhea Diagnosis
- Must be diagnosed by culture
- All pregnant women should be cultured at the initial prenatal visit
- Infected women and those identified with risky behaviors should be re-cultured at 36 weeks gestation.
Gonorrhea Treatment (Pregnant and Non-Pregnant)
- Ceftriaxone 250 mg IM in a single dose
2. Concomitant treatment for chlamydia is recommended since co-infection is common
Primary Stage of Syphilis
- Chancre (primary lesion) appears at point of contact 3-4 weeks after sexual contact
- Chancre is usually a PAINLESS shallow, red, clean ulcer
- May be a single lesion or a group of lesions
- Chancre lasts 1-6 weeks and then spontaneously heals
Secondary Stage of Syphilis
- Generalized symptoms appear 6-8 weeks after the chancre
- Maculopapular rash that peels on trunk, palms, and soles
- Usually heals without scarring
- Usually heals within 1-3 months
- Can be transmitted by non-sexual contact through the rash
- If not treated, will enter a latent phase that is asymptomatic for most people
Generalized Symptoms of Second Stage of Syphilis
- Malaise
- Fever
- Generalized lymphadenopathy
- Sore throat
- Headache
- Hair loss
- Loss of appetite
- Painful joints
Early Latent Stage of Syphilis
Duration of illness up to 1 year from the onset of infection
Late Latent Stage of Syphilis
Duration of illness greater than 1 year, up to 20 years
- Do not usually transmit the disease
- Pregnant women CAN transmit the infection transplacentally
Patient Outcomes of Early Latent Stage of Syphilis
- Up to 75% of patient in this stage are asymptomatic, while 25% may have lesions
- 1/3 are spontaneously cured during this stage
- 1/3 never progress beyond this stage
- 1/3 move on to the next stage
Tertiary Stage of Syphilis
- 25% of patients die
- Diagnosed by lumbar puncture
- Treatment can only slow the progression
- Any damage is irreversible
- Fetus can be infected
Complications of Tertiary Stage of Syphilis
- Musculoskeletal
- Skin or bone lesions
- Neurologic
- Insanity, paralysis, or death from CNS/spinal cord involvement
- Ataxia and parasthesia often present
- Cardiovascular
- Aneurysms
Transmission of Congenital Syphilis
Can be transmitted across the placenta to fetus during pregnancy or delivery
- Risk of infection is greater when mother is in early stages
Congenital Syphilis (S/Sx)
Baby may be born dead, die shortly after birth, be born early, or be infected with syphilis
Symptoms Include:
- Saddle nose
- Notched teeth
- Snuffles
- Inflammation of the cornea that may cause blindness
- Neurosyphilis (causes progressive disabling brain changes)
- Deafness
- Bone deformities
Treatment for Congenital Syphilis
Treatment with antibiotics can prevent progression but not reverse problems that have already developed
Syphilis Screening
- At first prenatal visit
- Early in the third trimester
- Intrapartum, if high risk
- VDRL test
- RPR test
- Can produce false-positive results
- Pregnancy itself can give a false positive result
- Positive screening ALWAYS requires a confirmatory test
- Can always have false negative results in people with early primary syphilis (takes 6-8 weeks after exposure for seroconversion to occur)
Syphilis Diagnosis
Darkfield microscopy is the “gold standard” for diagnosing syphilis
- Requires a special microscope
Syphilis Treatment for Non-Pregnant Penicillin Allergic Patients
Doxycycline or Tetracycline