These findings suggest that in a national ED sample, empiric treatment for patients tested for N gonorrhea and C trachomatis differed markedly by pregnancy status and across demographic characteristics. These differences may reflect a combination of guideline interpretation, communication, and structural barriers to follow-up rather than uniform clinician bias. Understanding how empiric treatment aligns with population-level risk and access to care may inform more equitable management of sexually transmitted infections in ED settings.
Gottlieb et al. (Wed,) studied this question.