A Prospective Randomized Trial of Ofloxacin vs. Doxycycline in the Treatment of Uncomplicated Male Urethritis

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Abstract
One hundred fourteen men with uncomplicated urethritis were randomized to receive 1 week of therapy with either doxycycline (100 mg twice daily) or ofloxacin (300 mg twice daily). Of the 109 men completing the post-treatment visit, 56 received ofloxacin and 52 (93%) were clinically cured. Forty four (83%) of the 53 men treated with doxycycline were cured. All 30 patients with gonorrhea (including three with penicillinase-producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae [PPNG] isolates) who were treated with ofloxacin became culture-negative, as compared with 32 of 34 patients receiving doxycycline. In contrast, three of 18 patients with Chlamydia trachomatis were microbiologic failures after ofloxacin therapy, while all ten treated wiht doxycycline were cured. Adverse effects of both treatment regimens were generally mild, and compliance was excellent except for one patient receiving doxycycline. These results show that ofloxacin, in a dosage of 300 mg taken orally twice daily for seven days, is an effective treatment for uncomplicated urethritis in men but may not reliably cure chlamydial infections.