Effectiveness of Cefixime for the Treatment of Neisseria gonorrhoeae Infection at 3 Anatomic Sites: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Background To treat Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a single oral dose of cefixime as an alternative to injectable ceftriaxone. Methods We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to describe the effectiveness of cefixime in treating N. gonorrhoeae infection at 3 different anatomic sites. We searched PubMed and Embase database to abstract treatment success rates and cefixime dosage/frequency for studies that reported the anatomical site of infection. We included reports published between January 1, 1980, and December 7, 2021. Twenty studies published between 1989 and 2015 were included in our meta-analysis. We calculated pooled treatment success percentages and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using random-effects models. Results Of patients who received a 400-mg single dose of cefixime, 824 of 846 (97%; 95% CI, 96%–98%) patients with urogenital infection, 107 of 112 (97%; 95% CI, 84%–100%) patients with rectal infection, and 202 of 242 (89%; 95% CI, 76%–96%) patients with pharyngeal infection were cured. Of patients who received an 800-mg single dose of cefixime, 295 of 301 (98%; 95% CI, 96%–99%) patients with urogenital infection and 21 of 26 (81%; 95% CI, 61%–92%) patients with pharyngeal infection were cured. Conclusions Our meta-analysis found that cefixime is highly effective at treating urogenital infections and less effective at treating pharyngeal infections. We recommend more investigation into the effectiveness of cefixime in treating rectal infections and studying multidose therapy for the cefixime treatment of pharyngeal infection.