Gonorrhea is the second most commonly reported notifiable
disease in the United States. National concerns about increasing rates of
gonorrhea and increasing antimicrobial resistant strains of N. gonorrhoeae are
prompting increased efforts to ensure adherence to the revised 2015 Sexually
Transmitted Disease Treatment Guidelines.
U.S. CDC now recommends treating gonorrhea with ceftriaxone
250 mg as a single intramuscular dose and azithromycin 1 g orally.
Clinicians need to use dual therapy and stay up to date with
treatment recommendations:
- Data show that resistance
decreases when the correct dual therapy is used.
- Using azithromycin as a monotherapy
to treat gonorrhea might promote the emergence of azithromycin resistance.
- Patients with cephalosporin
allergies should be treated with azithromycin 2 g plus either gentamicin
or gemifloxacin.
There has been a steady increase in the number of reported
gonorrhea cases in Maine. As of June 30, 2016, 251 cases of gonorrhea have been
reported to the Maine CDC. The five-year median for this time period is 116
cases. The increase in gonorrhea in Maine mirrors a national trend reported by
U.S. CDC.
