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Safety of benzathine penicillin for preventing congenital syphilis: a systematic review.

ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVE: To estimate the risk of serious adverse reactions to benzathine penicillin in pregnant women for preventing congenital syphilis. METHODS: We searched for clinical trials or cohorts that assessed the incidence of serious adverse reactions to benzathine penicillin in pregnant women and the general population (indirect evidence). MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus and other databases were searched up to December 2012. The GRADE approach was used to assess quality of evidence. Absolute risks of each study were calculated along with their 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). We employed the DerSimonian and Laird random effects model in the meta-analyses. RESULTS: From 2,765 retrieved studies we included 13, representing 3,466,780 patients. The studies that included pregnant women were conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of benzathine penicillin: no serious adverse reactions were reported among the 1,244 pregnant women included. In the general population, among 2,028,982 patients treated, 4 died from an adverse reaction. The pooled risk of death was virtually zero. Fifty-four cases of anaphylaxis were reported (pooled absolute risk = 0.002%; 95% CI: 0%-0.003% I(2) = 12%). From that estimate, penicillin treatment would be expected to result in an incidence of 0 to 3 cases of anaphylaxis per 100,000 treated. Any adverse reactions were reported in 6,377 patients among 3,465,322 treated with penicillin (pooled absolute risk = 0.169%; 95% CI: 0.073%-0.265% I(2) = 97%). The quality of evidence was very low. CONCLUSION: Studies that assessed the risk of serious adverse events due to benzathine penicillin treatment in pregnant women were scarce, but no reports of adverse reactions were found. The incidence of severe adverse outcomes was very low in the general population. The risk of treating pregnant women with benzathine penicillin to prevent congenital syphilis appears very low and does not outweigh its benefits. Further research is needed to improve the quality of evidence.

SUBMITTER: Galvao TF

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3578834 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Safety of benzathine penicillin for preventing congenital syphilis: a systematic review.

Galvao Tais F TF Silva Marcus T MT Serruya Suzanne J SJ Newman Lori M LM Klausner Jeffrey D JD Pereira Mauricio G MG Fescina Ricardo R

PloS one 20130221 2

<h4>Objective</h4>To estimate the risk of serious adverse reactions to benzathine penicillin in pregnant women for preventing congenital syphilis.<h4>Methods</h4>We searched for clinical trials or cohorts that assessed the incidence of serious adverse reactions to benzathine penicillin in pregnant women and the general population (indirect evidence). MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus and other databases were searched up to December 2012. The GRADE approach was used to assess quality of evidence. Absolute ...[more]

PMID: 23437138

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Project description:BackgroundThe shortage of benzathine penicillin G (BPG) worldwide presents a major challenge in the treatment of syphilis. Its availability for syphilis treatment has not been adequately evaluated in China.MethodsTwo surveys were conducted among hospitals providing sexually transmitted infection clinical services in Shandong Province in 2012 and 2018. Data on the basic information and BPG availability of the surveyed hospitals and related factors were collected and analyzed using SPSS 17.0.ResultsA total of 433 and 515 hospitals were surveyed in 2012 and 2018, respectively. A significant difference in BPG availability was observed among different levels and types of hospitals both in 2012 (X2 = 9.747, p = 0.008; X2 = 37.167, p = 0.000) and 2018 (X2 = 11.775, p = 0.003; X2 = 28.331, p = 0.000). The BPG availability among surveyed hospitals increased from 45.0% in 2012 to 56.4% in 2018 (X2 = 11.131, p = 0.001). The BPG availability was higher in 2018 than in 2012 among county-level hospitals (52.0% vs. 40.8%, X2 = 7.783, p = 0.005), general western medicine hospitals (62.1% vs. 50.0%, X2 = 6.742, p = 0.009), maternal and child health hospitals (57.1% vs. 26.9%, X2 = 13.906, p = 0.000), and public hospitals (56.8% vs. 45.0%, X2 = 11.361, p = 0.001). However, the county-level availability of BPG (at least one hospital has BPG in a county-level unit) has not improved between 2012 and 2018 (65.93% vs. 70.34%; X2 = 0.563, p = 0.453). The absences of clinical needs, restriction of clinical antibacterial drugs, and lack of qualifications for providing syphilis treatment were the major reasons for the low BPG availability of hospitals.ConclusionsBPG availability for syphilis treatment in Shandong Province remains low and presents disparities among different levels and types of hospitals, although it has been improved in recent years. The low availability of BPG for syphilis treatment in China is related to its clinical use by doctors rather than the market supply. Health care reforms should further improve the availability and accessibility of health services.

Project description:BACKGROUND:Benzathine penicillin G (BPG) is the only recommended treatment to prevent mother-to-child transmission of syphilis. Due to recent reports of country-level shortages of BPG, an evaluation was undertaken to quantify countries that have experienced shortages in the past 2 years and to describe factors contributing to these shortages. METHODS AND FINDINGS:Country-level data about BPG shortages were collected using 3 survey approaches. First, a survey designed by the WHO Department of Reproductive Health and Research was distributed to 41 countries and territories in the Americas and 41 more in Africa. Second, WHO conducted an email survey of 28 US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention country directors. An additional 13 countries were in contact with WHO for related congenital syphilis prevention activities and also reported on BPG shortages. Third, the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) collected data from 14 countries (where it has active operations) to understand the extent of stock-outs, in-country purchasing, usage behavior, and breadth of available purchasing options to identify stock-outs worldwide. CHAI also conducted in-person interviews in the same 14 countries to understand the extent of stock-outs, in-country purchasing and usage behavior, and available purchasing options. CHAI also completed a desk review of 10 additional high-income countries, which were also included. BPG shortages were attributable to shortfalls in supply, demand, and procurement in the countries assessed. This assessment should not be considered globally representative as countries not surveyed may also have experienced BPG shortages. Country contacts may not have been aware of BPG shortages when surveyed or may have underreported medication substitutions due to desirability bias. Funding for the purchase of BPG by countries was not evaluated. In all, 114 countries and territories were approached to provide information on BPG shortages occurring during 2014-2016. Of unique countries and territories, 95 (83%) responded or had information evaluable from public records. Of these 95 countries and territories, 39 (41%) reported a BPG shortage, and 56 (59%) reported no BPG shortage; 10 (12%) countries with and without BPG shortages reported use of antibiotic alternatives to BPG for treatment of maternal syphilis. Market exits, inflexible production cycles, and minimum order quantities affect BPG supply. On the demand side, inaccurate forecasts and sole sourcing lead to under-procurement. Clinicians may also incorrectly prescribe BPG substitutes due to misperceptions of quality or of the likelihood of adverse outcomes. CONCLUSIONS:Targets for improvement include drug forecasting and procurement, and addressing provider reluctance to use BPG. Opportunities to improve global supply, demand, and use of BPG should be prioritized alongside congenital syphilis elimination efforts.

Project description:BACKGROUND:Penicillin G Benzathine (PGB) is the cornerstone of syphilis treatment. However, its intramuscular (IM) administration is associated with pain at the site of injection. The dilution of PGB with local anesthetics is recommended in some guidelines, but the evidence that supports it, particularly in adults and in HIV infection, is scarce. Preliminary clinical experience also suggests that the IM administration of PGB through increased needle gauges might improve its tolerability. The aim of the study to identify less painful ways of administering IM PGB in the treatment of syphilis in adults. METHODS:Multicenter, randomized, double-blinded clinical trial in patients diagnosed with primary syphilis that required a single IM injection of PGB 2400,00?IU. Patients were randomized to receive PGB diluted with 0.5?mL mepivacaine 1% (MV) or PGB alone, and both groups either with a long 19G or short 21G IM needle. The primary objective was the effect on local pain immediately after the administration through a visual scale questionnaire on pain (0 to 10). RESULTS:One hundred eight patients were included, 27 in each group. Ninety-four (94.4%) were male, and 41.7% were also HIV-infected. Mean age 36.6?years (SD 11). Significant differences in immediate pain intensity were observed when comparing the long 19G group with anesthesia (mean pain intensity, [MPI] 2.92 [CI 95% 1.08-4.07]) vs long 19G without anesthesia (MPI 5.56 [CI 95% 4.39-6.73), p <?0.001; and also between short 21G group with anesthesia (MPI 3.36 [CI 95% 2.22-4.50]) vs short 21G without anesthesia (MPI 5.06 [CI 95% 3.93-6.19]), p =?0.015). No significant differences in immediate pain were observed between 19G and 21G in the presence or absence of anesthesia (p =?1.0 in both cases). No differences were found between study arms after 6 and 24?h. CONCLUSIONS:The IM administration of 1% mepivacaine-diluted PGB induces significantly less immediate local pain as compared to PGB alone. The needle gauge did not have any effect on the pain. Based on these results, we suggest anesthetic-diluted IM PGB as the standard treatment for primary syphilis. TRIAL REGISTRATION:EudraCT 2014-003969-24 (Date of registration 18/09/2014).

Project description:BackgroundWhile doxycycline is recommended as an alternative treatment of syphilis in patients with penicillin allergy or intolerance, clinical studies to compare serological response to doxycycline versus benzathine penicillin in treatment of early syphilis among HIV-infected patients remain sparse.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed the medical records of HIV-infected patients with early syphilis who received doxycycline 100 mg twice daily for 14 days (doxycycline group) and those who received 1 dose of benzathine penicillin (2.4 million units) (penicillin group) between 2007 and 2013. Serological responses defined as a decline of rapid plasma reagin titer by 4-fold or greater at 6 and 12 months of treatment were compared between the two groups.ResultsDuring the study period, 123 and 271 patients in the doxycycline and penicillin group, respectively, completed 6 months or longer follow-up. Ninety-one and 271 patients in the doxycycline and penicillin group, respectively, completed 12 months or longer follow-up. Clinical characteristics were similar between the two groups, except that, compared with penicillin group, doxycycline group had a lower proportion of patients with secondary syphilis (65.4% versus 41.5%, P<0.0001) and a higher proportion of patients with early latent syphilis (25.3% versus 49.6%, P<0.0001). No statistically significant differences were found in the serological response rates to doxycycline versus benzathine penicillin at 6 months (63.4% versus 72.3%, P = 0.075) and 12 months of treatment (65.9% versus 68.3%, P = 0.681). In multivariate analysis, secondary syphilis, but not treatment regimen, was consistently associated with serological response at 6 and 12 months of follow-up.ConclusionsThe serological response rates to a 14-day course of doxycycline and a single dose of benzathine penicillin were similar in HIV-infected patients with early syphilis at 6 and 12 months of follow-up. Patients with secondary syphilis were more likely to achieve serological response than those with other stages.

Project description:BackgroundReducing congenital syphilis has been the focus of Brazilian health programs for decades, yet the cases continue to increase. Although health interventions have targeted HIV screening and treatment, syphilis management continues to be challenging. Syphilis during pregnancy may enhance the HIV maternal seroconversion risk. The potential factors fueling the syphilis epidemic were evaluated in south Brazil, an area of high HIV or syphilis endemicity.ObjectiveWe hypothesized that ineffective treatment because of a lack of partner treatment, late presentation to care, and reinfection of previously treated mothers were potential drivers of syphilis mother-to-child transmission.Study designData on women diagnosed with syphilis during pregnancy between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2018 were obtained from a large urban hospital in Porto Alegre, Brazil. The patients were stratified into effective vs ineffective treatment groups according to the World Health Organization guidelines. Crude and adjusted risk ratios for the prediction of congenital syphilis and adverse fetal or neonatal outcomes were computed using Poisson regression.ResultsNearly 56,000 pregnant women delivered over the 11-year period; 1541 (2.8%) had confirmed syphilis during pregnancy, with 934 (61%) receiving ineffective syphilis treatment because of late presentation and diagnosis, delayed treatment initiation, and loss to follow-up with no treatment recorded. Ineffective treatment was associated with maternal education, prenatal care, timing of syphilis diagnosis, venereal diseases research laboratory titers, and maternal HIV coinfection. On multivariate regression analysis, ineffective treatment (adjusted risk ratio, 4.52; 95% confidence interval, 2.35-8.69), absence of prenatal care (adjusted risk ratio, 9.31; 95% confidence interval, 3.77-23.0), syphilis diagnosis at delivery (adjusted risk ratio, 3.08; 95% confidence interval, 2.07-4.58), and maternal nontreponemal titers ≥1:64 (1.09-1.93) were associated with an increased risk of fetal loss. Ineffective treatment (adjusted risk ratio, 1.71; 95% confidence interval, 1.59-1.84), year of diagnosis 2014 to 2016 (adjusted risk ratio, 1.07; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-1.13), absence of prenatal care (adjusted risk ratio, 1.44; 95% confidence interval, 1.17-1.76), and maternal nontreponemal titers >1:4 were associated with an increased risk of congenital syphilis. Although partner treatment reduced the congenital syphilis risk (adjusted risk ratio, 0.60; 95% confidence interval, 0.55-0.66), only 31.8% of partners received treatment. Maternal HIV coinfection was not associated with an increased risk of fetal loss, low birthweight, preterm birth, congenital syphilis, or symptomatic neonatal infection.ConclusionPublic health initiatives promoting effective syphilis treatment in pregnancy, increased access to high-quality prenatal care, and partner treatment should be considered to reduce congenital syphilis.

Dataset Information

Safety of benzathine penicillin for preventing congenital syphilis: a systematic review.

Publications

Safety of benzathine penicillin for preventing congenital syphilis: a systematic review.

Similar Datasets

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