Pelvic inflammatory disease

Prescribing Notes:

• Refer to BNF important safety information for all quinolones prior to prescribing.
• See MHRA Drug Safety Update (January 2024): Fluoroquinolones must only be used in situations when other antibiotics, that are commonly recommended for the infection, are inappropriate such as:
  
  • there is resistance to other first-line antibiotics recommended for the infection
  • other first-line antibiotics are contraindicated in an individual patient
  • other first-line antibiotics have caused side effects in the patient requiring treatment to be stopped
  • treatment with other first-line antibiotics has failed
• The commonest cause of pelvic inflammatory disease is Chlamydia. Co-amoxiclav has poor activity against chlamydia and is therefore inappropriate as monotherapy for the treatment of pelvic inflammatory disease.
• If infection with gonorrhoea is suspected, the patient should receive a ceftriaxone containing regimen and referred to Sexual Health Services.
• With any genital symptoms consider a sexually transmitted infection (STI) test including chlamydia, gonorrhoea, HIV and syphilis.