A Comparison between Pivampicillin, Ampicillin and Penicillin G in the Treatment of Acute Uncomplicated Gonorrhoea

Abstract

In the treatment of uncomplicated gonorrhoea pivampicillin, a recently introduced ampicillin derivative with improved oral absorption, has been compared with oral ampicillin and parenteral penicillin G. Pivampicillin was used as a one-day dose of 1.4 g (equimolar to 1 g of anhydrous ampicillin) given in two doses with 5 h interval. Ampicillin was used in a one-day dose of 2 g given in two doses with 5 h interval. Penicillin G was given in a single intramuscular injection of 1.0 MU of benzyl penicillin plus 1.5 MU of procaine penicillin. Each treatment group included 200 patients, 100 of each sex. The rate of probable true recurrence after treatment was similar in the three treatment groups, 4% with pivampicillin, 3% with ampicillin and 3.5% with penicillin G treatment. All drugs were highly effective also in females with gonococci in their rectal specimens.