Efficacy of prolonged regimes of oxytetracycline in the treatment of nongonococcal urethritis.

Material and methods The study was conducted in the Venereal Diseases Department, St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London. The diagnosis of nongonococcal urethritis was based on the presence of a sexually acquired urethral discharge, containing abundant polymorphonuclear leucocytes, shown not to be due to gonorrhoea by negative findings in Gramstained smears and by negative results to cultures. Cases in which the discharge was associated with Candida, or with Trichomonas vaginalis demonstrated in wet smears, were excluded. Patients who presented with insufficient urethral discharge for diagnostic purposes were reexamined by the early-morning smear procedure. Gases were unselected and after diagnosis were allocated to one of three treatment groups: Group A Oxytetracycline 500 mg. three times a day for 5 days Group B Oxytetracycline 250 mg. four times a day for 21 days Group C Oxytetracycline 500 mg. four times a day for 10 days.