Duration of clinical symptoms in female patients with acute urethral syndrome caused by Chlamydia trachomatis treated with azithromycin or doxycycline

One hundred fifty-one female patients with acute urethral syndrome caused by Chlamydia trachomatis were examined. First, patients were divided into two groups, those with clinical symptoms present <3 weeks before the start of treatment, and those with clinical symptoms greater than or equal to3 weeks prior to the beginning of therapy, Then patients were further divided into groups and randomized to receive azithromycin once daily in a single dose of 1.0 g or 500 mg once daily for 6 days, or to receive doxycycline 100 mg b.i.d. for 14 days or 100 mg b.i.d. for 7 days (8 study groups in all), Clinical and bacteriological efficacy was evaluated 3 weeks after the end of therapy, In the group of patients with disease symptoms lasting for 3 weeks or longer, the eradication and clinical cure rates were significantly higher after administration of azithromycin in a dose of 1x500 mg/6 days than after a single dose of 1.0 g (p <0.01), and after administration of doxycycline 2x100 mg/14 days than by using doxycycline 2x100 mg/7 days (p <0.05).