4 Increased leukocytes.
5 Appearance of scantly pustular and petechial skin lesions
toward the extremities.
(c) Endocarditis. Endocarditis (a disease caused by infection of the
lining of the cardiac chambers) develops rarely, but if it does, signs and symptoms
include heart murmurs and embolic phenomena.
(d) Conjunctivitis. This is the commonest form of eye involvement.
The infecting agent may go directly into the conjunctival sac of the eye. Proper
treatment is essential to keep the conjunctivitis from progressing rapidly to
panophthalmitis (generalized infection and inflammation of the eyeball) and subsequent
loss of the eye.
(e) Meningitis. This infection can occur but does so rarely as a result
of a gonorrheal infection.
2-5.
NONSPECIFIC GENITAL INFECTIONS
A group of infections with similar manifestations that are not linked to a single
organism have been grouped together and called nonspecific genital infections.
Included in this group are nonspecific urethritis (NSU), nonspecific gonococcal urethritis
(NGU), and nonspecific sexually transmitted (NSI). These infections became more
prevalent in the mid-1960's. If both sexual partners are treated at the same time,
treatment is usually successful.
a. Etiology. Causes include the following:
(1)
Infection of the urethra or cervix not caused by gram negative Neisseria
gonorrhoea.
(2)
Chlamydia infections account for about half the cases.
(3)
These infections may or may not be spread by sexual activity.
b. Signs and Symptoms in Men. Signs and symptoms occur from 7 to 28
days after intercourse. Included are the following:
(1)
Mild dysuria/urethral discomfort with a mucopurulent discharge.
(2) Symptoms show up in the morning when the lips of the meatus may be
stuck together with dried secretion.
(3)
Red meatus.
MD0580
2-7