This study looked at whether azithromycin treatment failure for urogenital chlamydia infection was related to insufficient levels of the antibiotic at the site of infection. We used an assay to measure azithromycin concentration in high-vaginal swabs to monitor how concentrations changes over time following routine azithromycin treatment.
Our study confirmed that a single 1g dose of azithromycin is rapidly absorbed and remains in the vagina at relatively high levels for at least a week, suggesting that poor antibiotic absorption is unlikely to be an explanation for treatment failure.
Publications
Post-treatment detection of azithromycin in high-vaginal material using liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).
Vodstrcil LA, Rupasinghe TWT, Kong KYS, Tull D, Worthington K, Chen MY, Huston WM, Timms P, McConville MJ, Fairley CK, Bradshaw CS, Tabrizi SN, Hocking JS
(2017), PLOS ONE,