Trip Answers

Question answered:19/06/02 Warning! this question is over two years old.

A previous ATTRACT question documented references on investigations and treatments appropriate in epididymitis (1). However these were not evidence based guidelines and were taken from an online textbook as no evidence based guidelines were found. The emedicine document (2) suggests a variety of antibiotic regimes and and the use of NSAIDS or narcotic analgesics.

There are evidence based guidelines on treating Chlamydial infection (3).

On the matter of referral, a document was found on the department of health website which summarised the advice of an Expert Advisory Group to the CMO on Chlamydia (4). It says "in most clinical settings Chlamydia testing should be offered to the following symptomatic groups regardless of age or any other factors.

• women with acute PID
• women with mucopurulent cervicitis
• women with lower abdominal pain
• women with vaginal discharge
• women with post coital or intermenstrual bleeding
• men with urethral discharge
• men with NSU and epididymitis
• men with reactive arthritis
• infants with opthalmia neonatorum or neonatal pneumonitis and their parents."

1.

http://www.attract.wales.nhs.uk/test3.cfm?question_id=553

2.

http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/topic166.htm

3.

http://www.sign.ac.uk/guidelines/fulltext/42/index.html

4.

http://www.doh.gov.uk/chlamyd.htm

 

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