This, in turn, may increase selection pressure for resistance. This is advised mainly because many patients with gonorrhea are also infected with Chlamydia trachomatis . However, administering a second antibiotic agent with a mechanism of action different from that of the primary drug may help retard the selection of resistant gonococci. Clinicians who frequently treat patients with gonorrhea should be aware of patterns of susceptibility in their communities, and health departments must be prepared to rapidly disseminate the information when high-level resistance to fluoroquinolones appears. Finally, basic and applied research into new classes of antimicrobial drugs for gonorrhea are greatly needed.
History shows that the gonococcus always wins, which makes it crucial to stay a step ahead.
Ann Intern Med. Trends in resistance of Neisseria gonorrhoeae to antimicrobial agents in the United States. Sex Transm Dis. Schwarcz SK, Zenilman JM, Schnell D, Knapp JS, Hook EW 3d, Thompson S, et al. National surveillance of antimicrobial resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae .