|
|
| Teens' STDs Often Not Treated Properly in ER |
| By Reuters Health |
| Published: 04/05/2004 |
|
A substantial number of teenagers diagnosed with sexually transmitted infections in emergency rooms may not receive appropriate treatment, according to a new report. Researchers from Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, Milwaukee reported in the Annals of Emergency Medicine that each year about a quarter of the sexually transmitted infections in the U.S. occur in adolescents, and many seek treatment in emergency departments. To see how well sexually transmitted infections in adolescents were treated in ERs, the researchers examined data covering 1.2 million such visits over a 7-year period. Of 351 patients deemed representative of this group, most (92 percent) were female and the most common specific diagnosis was pelvic inflammatory disease (in 44 percent of cases). Only 80 percent of patients with any sexually transmitted infection were treated with antibiotics or admitted to the hospital. This was true of 91 percent of patients with pelvic inflammatory disease and 71 percent of patients with other treatable sexually transmitted infections. Moreover, the researchers note, only 27 percent of the female patients with pelvic inflammatory disease received full treatment as laid out in public health guidelines. Less than half of the female patients with sexually transmitted infections had a pregnancy test, and only one such patient was tested for HIV. Male patients were more likely than female patients to receive treatment for sexually transmitted infections, but Hispanic patients were less likely than non-Hispanic white patients to receive treatment. |
MARKETPLACE search vendors | advanced search
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
|
Comments:
No comments have been posted for this article.
Login to let us know what you think