A clinic nurse is caring for a male patient diagnosed with gonorrhea who has been prescribed ceftriaxone and doxycycline. The patient asks why he is receiving two antibiotics. What is the nurse's best response?

Question

A) "There are many drug-resistant strains of gonorrhea, so more than one antibiotic may be required for successful treatment."
B) "The combination of these two antibiotics reduces the later risk of reinfection."
C) "Many people infected with gonorrhea are infected with chlamydia as well."
D) "This combination of medications will eradicate the infection twice as fast than a single antibiotic."

Answer 1

Ans: C
Feedback:
Because patients are often coinfected with both gonorrhea and chlamydia, the CDC recommends dual therapy even if only gonorrhea has been laboratory proven. Although the number of resistant strains of gonorrhea has increased, that is not the reason for use of combination antibiotic therapy. Dual therapy is prescribed to treat both gonorrhea and chlamydia, because many patients with gonorrhea have a coexisting chlamydial infection. This combination of antibiotics does not reduce the risk of reinfection or provide a faster cure.