Descriptive Epidemiology of Women in the Emergency Department With Gonorrhea and Chlamydial Infection in the United States.

Abstract

Demographic characteristics, risk factors, and clinical variables associated with gonorrhea and chlamydial infection in women being treated in emergency departments (EDs) in the United States are incompletely characterized. We used univariable and multivariable regression analyses on 17,411 encounters from women 18 years and older who presented to EDs in northeast Ohio and were tested for gonorrhea or chlamydial infection. There were 1,360 women (7.8%) who had Chlamydia trachomatis infection and 510 (2.9%) who had Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection. Those infected with C. trachomatis or N. gonorrhoeae were younger (23.8 vs. 29.2 years), unmarried (97.7% vs. 90.1%), Black (93.3% vs. 88.0%), infected with Trichomonas vaginalis (39.9% vs. 27.2%), diagnosed with urinary tract infection (15.7% vs. 10.6%), and treated for gonorrhea and chlamydial infection during the ED visit (31.6% vs. 17.4%) (all ps < .001). Women infected with C. trachomatis or N. gonorrhoeae had more urine white blood cells (WBCs) (23.9 vs. 16.4 cells per high-power field [HPF]) and leukocyte esterase (1.2+ vs. 0.8+) on urinalysis. They had more WBCs (18.5 vs. 12.4 cells/HPF) and odds of having T. vaginalis infection (12.8% vs. 8.2%) on vaginal wet preparation (all ps < .001). Women infected with C. trachomatis were more likely to be younger and not Black; they were less likely to be treated for gonorrhea and chlamydial infection in the ED and to have lower levels of urine WBCs, leukocyte esterase, and blood than those infected with N gonorrhoeae (all ps ≤ .05).

• Authors: Johnathan M Sheele, Kara J Bragg, Bradley Bragg, Santiago Cantillo Campos, Justin M Elkins, Joshua D Niforatos, Cheryl L Thompson
• Journal: Advanced emergency nursing journal (Adv Emerg Nurs J) 2022 Apr-Jun 01 Vol. 44 Issue 2 Pg. 144-157 ISSN: 1931-4493 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 35476693 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

Topics

• Chlamydia Infections (complications, diagnosis, epidemiology)
• Chlamydia trachomatis
• Emergency Service, Hospital
• Female
• Gonorrhea (complications, epidemiology)
• Humans
• Male
• Neisseria gonorrhoeae
• United States (epidemiology)