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Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:
A new study led by an infectious disease epidemiologist at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine could change the way doctors treat a common sexually transmitted disease.
Professor Patricia Kissinger and a team of researchers found the recommended single dose of medication isn't enough to eliminate trichomoniasis, the most common curable STD, which can cause serious birth complications and make people more susceptible to HIV. Results of the research are published in Lancet Infectious Diseases.
Globally, an estimated 143 million new cases of trichomoniasis among women occur each year and most do not have symptoms, yet the infection is causing unseen problems. The recommended treatment for more than three decades has been a single dose of the antibiotics metronidazole or tinidazole.
The researchers recruited more than 600 women for the randomized trial in New Orleans; Jackson, Mississippi; and Birmingham, Alabama. Half the women took a single dose of metronidazole and the other half received treatment over seven days.
Kissinger and her team found the women who received multiple doses of the treatment were half as likely to still have the infection after taking all the medication compared to women who only took a single dose.
-- submitted from IRC
Patricia Kissinger, et. al. Single-dose versus 7-day-dose metronidazole for the treatment of trichomoniasis in women: an open-label, randomised controlled trial. The Lancet Infectious Diseases, 2018; DOI: 10.1016/S1473-3099(18)30423-7
(Score: 4, Interesting) by All Your Lawn Are Belong To Us on Wednesday October 10 2018, @05:14PM
The cure was being called a cure because historically the rate was 90-95% effective for a single 2 gram dose. 90-95% effective is pretty darn effective, ain't it? And this was a front-line very low dose. For those it didn't cure further steps can be taken (like the larger/longer dose regimen).
There are only two drugs for trich anyway: Metronidazole and tinidazole. (There are far fewer antiparasitic drugs than antibiotic). Metronidazole is regarded as the more effective of the two, generally.
This study seems to question that effectiveness rate a bit (81% effective for the single dose and 89% effective for 7 day). It is known that about 2-5% of trich infections are metranidazole-resistant.
Currently both regimens are available. Typical course of treatment is to use the 2 gram single dose, and if reinfection is screened out (something the abstract of the study doesn't talk about but would be normal), then go with the 7 day higher dosage. This single study is just advocating a jump to the 7 day to get an extra 8% or so effectiveness at the outset.
As resistance grows, so must the tools change. Whether it's that time yet.... ask your doctor when you are diagnosed with Trichomoniasis (70% of those who have it are asymptomatic anyway....)
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