A retrospective study of the clinical effectiveness of the treatment of genital co-infection with N-gonorrhoeae and C-trachomatis in Coventry

Concomitant infection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis is frequent and it is common practice to prescribe ancillary treatment for chlamydial infection when infection with N. gonorrhoeae is suspected or confirmed. In Coventry cases are treated as they are diagnosed. Our objective was to determine the clinical effectiveness of treating gonorrhoea and chlamydial infection separately in cases of co-infection. Case notes of co-infection with N. gonorrhoeae and C. trachomatis diagnosed in Coventry GU clinic from March 1989 to February 2000 were reviewed retrospectively. There were 1250 episodes of gonorrhoea, 4127 of chlamydial infections, and both infections were found in 332 cases. The two infections were treated in 322 cases and in 235 cases were treated separately. Ton cases did not come back for treatment of chlamydial infection, which is less than one case per year and 0.2% of total chlamydial infection in 11 years. On the other hand, 918 (73%) of total number of gonorrhoea patients did not have to take unnecessary treatment for chlamydial infection. In some clinical settings co-infection with N. gonorrhoeae and C. trachomatis could be treated separately with significant success and in the long run this might prevent development of antibiotic resistance of C. trachomatis infection.