Introduction
Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection is a public health concern worldwide, due in large part to the fact that N. gonorrhoeae has demonstrated unprecedented capacity to develop antibiotic resistance. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a single oral dose of cefixime as an alternative to injectable ceftriaxone.
Aim
To describe the effectiveness of cefixime in treating N. gonorrhoeae infection at 3 different anatomic sites.
Methods
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The meta-analysis included 20 studies reporting treatment success rates and cefixime dosage/frequency for anatomical site of infection published between 1989 and 2015.
Results
Cefixime was more effective at treating urogenital infections and less effective at treating pharyngeal infections.
Figure 1: Treatment proportions studies that used a single 800-mg dose and 400 mg dose.
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Significant intragroup heterogeneity was only observed for the pharyngeal group (I2statistic = 75.2%, P < 0.001).
Conclusion
Cefixime 400mg and 800mg single dose is highly effective at treating urogenital infections compared to pharyngeal gonococcal infections.
Reference
Sex Transm Dis. 2023 Mar 1;50(3):131-137.
