Syphilis Screening In Pregnant Women Research Articles

The cost-effectiveness of syphilis screening in pregnant women: a systematic literature review.

The cost-effectiveness study of syphilis screening in pregnant women has not been synthesized. This study aimed to synthesize the economic evidence on the cost-effectiveness of syphilis screening in pregnant women that might contribute to making recommendations on the future direction of syphilis screening approaches. We systematically searched MEDLINE, PubMed, and Web of Science databases for relevant studies published before 19 January 2023 and identified the cost-effectiveness analyses for syphilis screening in pregnant women. The methodological design quality was appraised by the Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards (CHEERS) 2022 checklist. In total, 17 literature met the eligibility criteria for a full review. Of the 17 studies, four evaluated interventions using different screening methods, seven assessed a combination of syphilis testing and treatment interventions, three focused on repeat screening intervention, and four evaluated the interventions that integrated syphilis and HIV testing. The most cost-effective strategy appeared to be rapid syphilis testing with high treatment rates in pregnant women who were positive. The cost-effectiveness of syphilis screening for pregnancy has been widely demonstrated. It is very essential to improve the compliance with maternal screening and the treatment rates for positive pregnant women while implementing screening.

Skrining Penyakit Menular Pada Ibu Hamil Di Rumah Sakit Umum Daerah Kwaingga Kabupaten Keerom

A research entitled Infectious Disease Screening for Pregnant Women at the Kwaingga, Keerom Regency. The purpose of this study was to determine the results of Hepatitis B and Syphilis screening in pregnant women at Kwaingga Keerom Regional Hospital. The population in this study were all patients who came for antenatal care at the Kwaingga Keerom District Hospital. The sample in this study was the blood of pregnant women used as serum with a total sample of 30 samples. The examination method is the immunochromatography method. This screening was carried out for 1 month, from January 20 to February 25, 2020. HBsAg and TP Rapid examination results obtained for HBsAg as many as 7% positive infected with Hepatitis B and 93% other negative results, and the results of TP Rapid examination were obtained results as much as 3% positive for syphilis and 97% were negative. so, from the results of HBsAg and TP Rapid examination, positive samples of hepatitis B and syphilis were still obtained in pregnant women at Kwaingga Keerom Regional Hospital.

Syphilis screening in pregnant women: Discordant results require careful confirmation

In the past 15 years, many high volume clinical laboratories implemented reverse sequence syphilis screening. Reverse sequence screening uses an automated treponemal immunoassay as the initial screening step, instead of the traditional rapid plasma reagin. Reverse sequence screening is economical for high volume laboratories but has led to diagnostic difficulties when the testing algorithm yields discordant results, particularly for pregnant women. In this volume of The Journal, Williams et al evaluated 35 108 reverse sequence syphilis screening events among pregnant women in Ohio from 2011-2018. Overall, 127 women had discordant screening results, of which 85 (65%) were ultimately found to have a false positive treponemal immunoassay. These results suggest that for pregnant women in this cohort, discordant screening results were often secondary to false positive screening and were not indicative of syphilis infection. Interpretation of reverse sequence syphilis screening results is challenging in pregnant women, as the stakes are high for early diagnosis and treatment to prevent congenital syphilis. From 2013-2017, the CDC reported that the national rate of reported primary and secondary syphilis in women rose by 156%. In 2016, 628 cases of congenital syphilis were reported by CDC, with 41 cases of syphilis-related stillbirth. Congenital syphilis cases were concentrated in 9 regions across the US (Ohio was one of these areas), and the rise in syphilis in women has been linked to the amphetamine and opioid epidemics. Thus, the results reported by Williams et al require careful interpretation in the context of local epidemiology. Nevertheless, this study highlights the challenges of interpreting screening assays that may offer convenience over specificity and underscores the need to perform confirmatory testing for pregnant women with discordant syphilis screening results. Article page 263 ▸

Low male partner attendance after syphilis screening in pregnant women leads to worse birth outcomes: the Syphilis Treatment of Partners (STOP) randomised control trial.

Pregnant women with a positive point-of-care treponemal test at three antenatal clinics (ANCs) in Kampala, Uganda, were randomised 1:1:1 to receive either notification slips (NS; standard of care), NS and a text messages (SMS) or NS and telephone calls. The primary outcome was the proportion of partners who attended the ANC and were treated for syphilis. Between 2015 and 2016, 17130 pregnant women were screened; 601 (3.5%) had a positive treponemal result, and 442 were enrolled in the study. Only 81 of 442 partners (18.3%; 23/152 (15.1%), 31/144 (21.5%) and 27/146 (18.5%) in the NS only, NS + SMS and NS + telephone call groups respectively) attended an ANC for follow-up; there were no significant differences between the groups. Twelve per cent of women attended the ANC with their male partner, and this proportion increased over time. Partner non-treatment was independently associated with adverse birth outcomes (odds ratio 2.75; 95% confidence interval 2.36-3.21; P < 0.001). Only 18.3% of partners of pregnant women who tested positive for syphilis received treatment. Female partners of non-attendant men had worse birth outcomes. Encouraging men to accompany women to the ANC and testing both may address the urgent need to treat partners of pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa to reduce poor fetal outcomes.

Using electronic readers to monitor progress toward elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis: An opinion piece

Electronic readers and smartphones have the potential to standardize the interpretation of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) and provide timely surveillance program data. RDTs are widely used for HIV and are being increasingly used for syphilis screening in pregnant women. Following the WHO initiative for the validation of elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis, there is a need for more extensive testing and data monitoring. However, access to timely and accurate data can be challenging once testing is decentralized as data quality at remote sites is often difficult to verify. Electronic RDT readers can help to ensure quality and allow automated data transmission, creating an opportunity for real-time surveillance to inform control strategies and assess intervention impact. Furthermore, by linking the data to existing supply chain management software, stockouts can be minimized. The present opinion piece looks at the opportunities and challenges of using these tools within national elimination programs.

Canadian Public Health Laboratory Network laboratory guidelines for congenital syphilis and syphilis screening in pregnant women in Canada.

Despite universal access to screening for syphilis in all pregnant women in Canada, cases of congenital syphilis have been reported in recent years in areas experiencing a resurgence of infectious syphilis in heterosexual partnerships. Antenatal screening in the first trimester continues to be important and should be repeated at 28 to 32 weeks and again at delivery in women at high risk of acquiring syphilis. The diagnosis of congenital syphilis is complex and is based on a combination of maternal history and clinical and laboratory criteria in both mother and infant. Serologic tests for syphilis remain important in the diagnosis of congenital syphilis and are complicated by the passive transfer of maternal antibodies which can affect the interpretation of reactive serologic tests in the infant. All infants born to mothers with reactive syphilis tests should have nontreponemal tests (NTT) and treponemal tests (TT) performed in parallel with the mother's tests. A fourfold or higher titre in the NTT in the infant at delivery is strongly suggestive of congenital infection but the absence of a fourfold or greater NTT titre does not exclude congenital infection. IgM tests for syphilis are not currently available in Canada and are not recommended due to poor performance. Other evaluation in the newborn infant may include long bone radiographs and cerebrospinal fluid tests but all suspect cases should be managed in conjunction with sexually transmitted infection and/or pediatric experts.