[Effect of nitroimidazole therapy on the demonstration of gonococci].

The minimal inhibitory concentration of metronidazole and tinidazole lies between 4000 micrograms/ml and 7.8 micrograms/ml. Drug levels are present in this range for 2--5 hours in genital discharge following single dose oral therapy with 2 g tinidazole or 1.5 g metronidazole. Therefore, 5-nitroimidazole derivatives exert a bacteriostatic effect in the genital region at least on the more sensitive strains. As shown in our experiments, otherwise reliable laboratory procedures for the demonstration of gonococci may yield false negative results, if specimens for culture are obtained at an inappropriate time.