Patterns of Chlamydia trachomatis testing and follow-up at a university hospital medical center

Bachmann, LH Richey, CM Waites, K Schwebke, JR Hook, EW

Lh. Bachmann et al., Patterns of Chlamydia trachomatis testing and follow-up at a university hospital medical center, SEX TRA DIS, 26(9), 1999, pp. 496-499

11

INGLESE

Article

Clinical Immunolgy & Infectious Disease","da verificare

SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES

0148-5717 → ACNP

26

9

1999

496 - 499

ISI

0148-5717(199910)26:9<496:POCTTA>2.0.ZU;2-V

Objective: Although testing for Chlamydia trachomatis is encouraged and inc reasingly practiced at sexually transmitted disease (STD) and family planni ng clinics, patterns of testing and follow-up in other settings are not wel l described. To begin to address these issues, we performed a chart review of patients with a positive laboratory test for C. trachomatis at a major u niversity medical center. Methods: Chart review of medical records for all patients with positive lab oratory tests for C. trachomatis during calendar year 1996. Results: Of 326 patients with positive tests, 95% were female and 5% were m ale. Median age was 22 for females and 25 for males. Most positive C. trach omatis test results were from the emergency room (ER)/walk-in clinic (55%) or patients receiving obstetric/gynecologic (OB/GYN) care (31%). While mast C. trachomatis tests performed mere on patients who had symptoms, patterns of treatment varied between sites. Fifty-seven percent of ER/waIk-in patie nts received empiric antibiotics at the initial visit versus 36% of patient s under OB/GYN care. Among patients with positive screening tests seen in t he ER/walk-in clinic, 32% of patients had no treatment documented versus 14 % of OB/GYN patients. Four percent of women with positive tests who did not receive therapy at the time of their initial evaluation developed pelvic i nflammatory disease in the interval between testing and return to the medic al center. Conclusions: Of the patients with positive chlamydial screening tests, the proportion not treated was similar to that found in studies performed in ST D clinics.