Urethritis and Cervicitis Flashcards
Which STI is a gram -ve diplococcus
Neisseria gonorrhoea
Symptoms of gonorrhoea
Asymptomatic
Increased vaginal discharge
Abdo / pelivic pain
Dysuria
Urethral discharge
Proctitis / rectal bleeding
Cervical bleeding on contact
Cervical excitation
what proportion of women with gonorrhoea are asymptomatic?
Up to 80%
what proportion of men with gonorrhoea are asymptomatic?
Penile urethral GC - asymptomatic in ~10%
Treatment of gonorrhoea
Monotherapy - ceftriaxone 1g intramuscularly (2019 guidelines)
Which STI is an obligate intracellular pathogen
Chlamydia
Symptoms / signs of chlamydia infection
Asymptomatic
Vaginal discharge
Lower abdo pain
Intermenstrual bleeding
Cervical discharge
Post-coital (contact) bleeding
Dysuria
Urethral discharge
what proportion of women with chlamydia are asymptomatic?
70%
what proportion of men with chlamydia are asymptomatic?
50%
Complications of chlamydia
PID
endometritis /salpingitis
tubal infertility
Ectopic pregnancy
Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome = peri-hepatitis
Neonatal or adult conjunctivitis
Neonatal pneumonia
Sexually acquired reactive arthritis
Epididymo-orchitis (may be associated with male sub-fertility)
Treatment of chlamydia
First line = Doxycycline 100mg oral BD 7d (contraindicated in pregnancy)
Second line = Azithromycin 1g STAT PO, followed by 500mg OD PO 2/7
Alternative regimens:
Erythromycin 500mg BD 10–14 days
Ofloxacin 200mg BD or 400mg OD 7days
What type of bacteria is gonorrhoea
Gram-negative diplococcus within polymorphonuclear leukocytes
Primary sites of infection for gonorrhoea
Columnar epithelium-lined mucous membranes
- urethra
- endocervix
- rectum
- pharynx
- conjunctiva
mode of transmission of gonorrhoea
Transmission = direct inoculation of infected secretions from one mucous membrane to another
Secondary infection to other sites via systemic or transluminal spread
Symptoms and signs of penile urethral gonorrhoea infection
Discharge
Dysuria
Mucopurulent urethral discharge
Rarely - testicular / epididymal pain + tenderness + swelling
Symptoms and signs of Female urethral gonorrhoea infection
dysuria
Without urinary frequency
Symptoms and signs of endocervical gonorrhoea infection
increased or altered vaginal discharge
mucopurulent endocervical discharge
lower abdominal pain
intermenstrual bleeding
HMB
easily induced endocervical bleeding
Symptoms and signs of rectal gonorrhoea infection
Most asymptomatic
Anal discharge
Perianal/ anal pain or discomfort
What proportion of cisgender women with urogenital gonorrhoea also have rectal gonorrhoea irrespective of history of anal sex
1/3
Symptoms and signs of pharyngeal gonorrhoea infection
Most asymptomatic
Occasionally - sore throat
What complications of gonorrhoea infection may occur?
epididymo-orchitis
prostatitis
pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
Haematogenous dissemination - skin lesions, arthralgia, arthritis and tenosynovitis
What is disseminated gonorrhoea?
Untreated gonorrhoea
Haematogenous dissemination causing skin lesions, arthralgia, arthritis and tenosynovitis
Sensitivity of microscopy of urethral or meatal swabs of penile urethral discharge
90–95%
Sensitivity of microscopy of urethral or meatal swabs for people without penile urethral discharge
50–75% not recommended
Window period for gonorrhoea testing
2 weeks Infection cannot be ruled out in individuals who test within two weeks of sexual contact
What is the main role of culture testing for gonorrhoea
Antimicrobial susceptibility testing
Take culture samples at time of NAAT sample or prior to treatment
Sensitivity of gonorrhoea NAATs test in asymptomatic patients
>95% - in both symptomatic and asymptomatic infection
Sensitivity of microscopy of female urethral or endocervocal swabs
female urethral - 20%
endocervical - 37–50%
Advice re abstaining after treatment of gonorrhoea
abstain until seven days after they and their partner(s) have completed treatment
Indications for gonorrea treatment
Microscopy identification of intracellular Gram-negative diplococci
Positive culture
Confirmed positive NAAT
Sexual partner of confirmed case of gonococcal infection
Treatment of gonorrhoea in pregnant patients
Avoid quinolones or tetracyclines
Pregnancy does not diminish treatment efficacy.
Ceftriaxone 1g IM STAT
OR
Spectinomycin 2g IM STAT (FDA pregnancy category B - not expected to be harmful - used if no suitable alternatives)
OR
Azithromycin 2g PO STAT (only if adequate alternatives not available and known susceptible)
Treatment of gonorrhoea in HIV-positive individuals
manage as per HIV-negative individuals
Ceftriaxone 1g IM STAT monotherapy
partner notification timeframes for GC
For male symptomatic urethral infection - All partners within 2 weeks
OR
most recent partner if >2/52 ago
For GC at all other sites or male asymptomatic urethral infection - all partners in last 3 months
When is a test of cure indicated for gonorrhoea
ALL patients diagnosed with gonorrhoea should be advised to return for TOC
Extra emphasis given to patients:
- With persistent symptoms / signs
- With pharyngeal infection
- Treated with non-first line treatment
- infection acquired in Asia-Pacific region
reporting guideline for treatment failure for GC
Possible cases of ceftriaxone treatment failure in England should be reported to Public Health England
treatment regimen for Gonococcal conjunctivitis
Ceftriaxone 1g IM STAT mono-therapy
Treatment of Gonococcal PID
Ceftriaxone 1g IM STAT mono-therapy
PLUS
regimen chosen to treat PID
first line = Doxycycline 100mg BD 14/7
AND metronidazole 400mg BD 14/7
Treatment of uncomplicated ano-genital and pharyngeal gonorrhoea infection in adults when antimicrobial susceptibility is not known prior to treatment
Ceftriaxone 1g IM STAT mono-therapy
Treatment of gonorrhoea in breastfeeding patients
Avoid quinolones or tetracyclines if breastfeeding
Ceftriaxone 1g IM STAT
OR Spectinomycin 2g IM STAT (unknown if it is excreted in breastmilk - use with caution
OR Azithromycin 2g PO STAT (only if adequate alternatives not available and if isolate known to be susceptible)
When is Epidemiological treatment indicated for sexual contacts of gonorrhoea
- partners who test positive for gonorrhoea
- partner presenting within 14 days of exposure (discuss - if asymptomatic could wait and repeat testing 2/52 after exposure)
Causes of a positive GC TOC
Treatment failure Reinfection
Residual non-viable organism
Treatment for Gonococcal epididymo-orchitis
Ceftriaxone 1g IM STAT mono-therapy
AND
the regimen chosen to treat epididymo-orchitis
Doxycycline 100mg by mouth twice daily for 10-14 days
Treatment of uncomplicated ano-genital and pharyngeal gonorrhoea infection in adults when antimicrobial susceptibility is known prior to treatment
Ciprofloxacin 500mg PO STAT
Prevalence of ciprofloxacin resistance in the UK
36.4% in 2017
Alternative treatment regimens for uncomplicated ano-genital and pharyngeal gonorrhoea infection in adults
Alternative regimens - all have been associated with treatment failure when used as monotherapy
Especially for pharyngeal infection
Use DUAL therapy with azithromycin 2g if possible
- Cefixime 400mg PO STAT + azithromycin 2g PO ( Only if IM injection contraindicated or refused)
- Gentamicin 240mg IM STAT + azithromycin 2g PO
- Spectinomycin 2g IM STAT + azithromycin 2g PO (not for pharyngeal infection)
- Azithromycin 2g PO mono-therapy (clinical efficacy doesn’t always correlate with in vitro susceptibility + azithromycin resistance is high)
Why may Alternative treatment regimens for gonorrhoea be used?
Allergy
Needle phobia
Other absolute or relative contraindications
Symptoms of LGV
Asymptomatic infection may occur
Tenesmus
Anorectal discharge (often bloody)
Anal discomfort
Diarrhoea or altered bowel habit
Treatment of pharyngeal chlamydia
Doxycycline 100mg PO BD 7/7
Treatment of rectal chlamydia
Doxycycline 100mg PO BD 7/7
When is a TOC required for chlamydial infections?
Rectal chlamydia
Chlamydia in pregnancy
If poor compliance is suspected
Where symptoms persist