A comparative study of single-dose treatment of chancroid using thiamphenicol versus Azithromycin.

Abstract

A study was conducted in São Paulo, Brazil, to compare azithromycin with thiamphenicol for the single-dose treatment of chancroid. In all, 54 men with chancroid were tested. The etiology was determined by clinical characterization and direct bacterioscopy with Gram staining. None of the patients had positive serology or dark-field examination indicating active infection with Treponema pallidum. Genital infections due to Neisseria gonorrhoeae and herpes simplex virus were excluded by polymerase chain reaction testing. For 54 patients with chancroid, cure rates with single-dose treatment were 73% with azithromycin and 89% with thiamphenicol. HIV seropositivity was found to be associated with treatment failure (p=0.001). The treatment failed in all HIV positive patients treated with azithromycin (p=0.002) and this drug should be avoided in these co-infected patients. In the view of the authors, thiamphenicol is the most indicated single-dose regimen for chancroid treatment.

• Authors: Walter Belda Jr, Nilton G Di Chiacchio, Nilton Di Chiacchio, Ricardo Romiti, Paulo R Criado, Paulo Eduardo N Ferreira Velho
• Journal: The Brazilian journal of infectious diseases : an official publication of the Brazilian Society of Infectious Diseases (Braz J Infect Dis) Vol. 13 Issue 3 Pg. 218-20 (06 2009) ISSN: 1678-4391 [Electronic] Brazil
• PMID: 20191200 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Anti-Bacterial Agents
• Azithromycin
• Thiamphenicol

Topics

• AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections (drug therapy)
• Anti-Bacterial Agents (administration & dosage)
• Azithromycin (administration & dosage)
• Chancroid (drug therapy)
• Cohort Studies
• Humans
• Male
• Prospective Studies
• Thiamphenicol (administration & dosage)
• Treatment Failure