Serologic screening for syphilis: rationale, cost, and realpolitik
Article Abstract:
Screening people suspected of having syphilis may be expensive and may need to be justified using a cost-benefit analysis. Screening involves testing blood samples for the presence of syphilis. The cost of finding no infection in some cases may need to be weighed against the cost of medical treatment, especially for late stage syphilis, if patients' syphilis goes undetected. Standard screening practices for syphilis may not identify many infected people because these people may not get medical care and because initial symptoms come and go. All pregnant women should be screened for syphilis to prevent passing it to their infants, even if the rate of syphilis is low in a community. Economic analyses may help determine how much of the nonpregnant population to screen.
Publication Name: Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0148-5717
Year: 1996
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A comparison of the case-finding effectiveness and average costs of screening and partner notification
Article Abstract:
Standard methods of identifying individuals with syphilis during an epidemic may be inadequate. Researchers studied the effectiveness and costs of screening for syphilis through blood tests and efforts to contact sexual partners of syphilis patients. The effectiveness of partner notification was low, with field workers uncovering only 17 untreated patients per 100 early syphilis cases. Screening in sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics identified the rest of the cases, who were motivated to seek medical care. Testing in STD clinics was found to be more cost effective than partner notification. Screening may be more cost effective when conducted in populations known to have a high prevalence of syphilis, rather than screening the general population.
Publication Name: Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0148-5717
Year: 1996
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Evaluation of the rapid plasma reagin "teardrop" card test for screening of syphilis in field conditions
Article Abstract:
The rapid plasma reagin (RPR) 'teardrop' card test may not be an effective method for the diagnosis of syphilis. The RPR teardrop card test is a simple test that can be performed without expensive laboratory equipment. A study compared the effectiveness of the RPR teardrop card test to other standard diagnostic tests for syphilis in 452 pregnant women in Senegal. The standard diagnostic tests included the classic RPR blood test, the Treponema pallidum hemagglutination assay and the fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption assay. The sensitivity of the RPR teardrop test was 70% compared with that of the classic RPR blood test. The specificity of the RPR teardrop was also slightly less than that of the classic test.
Publication Name: Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0148-5717
Year: 1993
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