A trial of spectinomycin hydrochloride compared with aqueous penicillin G plus kanamycin for treatment of severe pelvic inflammatory disease.

In a randomized, double-blind, comparative study, eight patients with severe pelvic inflammatory disease received intravenous spectinomycin hydrochloride (8 g per day), and nine received aqueous penicillin G (2.0 x 10(7) units per day, iv) plus kanamycin (1 g per day, im). Three patients assigned to spectinomycin had to have the therapy discontinued, two because of therapeutic failures and one because of an adverse reaction. None of the patients assigned to penicillin plus kanamycin needed cessation of treatment. Even though the differences were not statistically significant, the study was thus terminated.