Sensitivity Tests as a Means of Distinguishing Relapse from Re-Infection in the Treatment of Gonorrhoea.

To assess the efficacy of the treatment of gonorrhoea it is important to distinguish as far as possible between relapse and re-infection in the follow-up period, because re-infection is not due to failure of treatment. Post-treatment gonorrhoea or relapse generally occurs within 1 or 2 weeks of treatment. Suspicion of re-infection increases with the length of the gonococcus-free interval between the completion of treatment and the new demonstration of the gonococcus. When the patient admits sexual intercourse during the follow-up period and the symptoms appear at the appropriate time, re-infection is indicated (Table I).