An eight-year retrospective analysis of antenatal screening results for syphilis: is it still cost effective?

Tugba Ensari; Ayse Kirbas; Ayse Seval Ozgu-Erdinc; Sibel Gokay Saygan; Salim Erkaya; Dilek Uygur; Nuri Danisman

doi:10.3855/jidc.6064

An eight-year retrospective analysis of antenatal screening results for syphilis: is it still cost effective?

Authors

Tugba Ensari Zekai Tahir Burak Women Health Care, Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
Ayse Kirbas Zekai Tahir Burak Women Health Care, Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
Ayse Seval Ozgu-Erdinc Zekai Tahir Burak Women Health Care, Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
Sibel Gokay Saygan Zekai Tahir Burak Women Health Care, Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
Salim Erkaya Zekai Tahir Burak Women Health Care, Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
Dilek Uygur Zekai Tahir Burak Women Health Care, Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
Nuri Danisman Zekai Tahir Burak Women Health Care, Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3855/jidc.6064

Keywords:

syphilis, prevalence, pregnancy, antenatal care

Abstract

Introduction: This study aimed to document the prevalence of syphilis among pregnant women in Turkey.

Methodology: In this retrospective cohort study, a total of 63,276 sera obtained between January 2007 and June 2014 from women who were routinely screened for syphilis as a part of antenatal care at a tertiary referral hospital in Turkey were analyzed. Serological screening was done with the rapid plasma reagin (RPR) test on venous blood samples. Treponema pallidum hemagglutination assay (TPHA) was the confirmation test for the diagnosis of syphilis in patients who had positive results in the screening test.

Results: Between 2007 and the first six months of 2014, 41 RPR+ and only five confirmed syphilis-positive patients were determined. The syphilis seroprevalence rate was 0.0648%. Within these years, there was no case of congenital syphilis detected in the hospital.

Conclusion: As there is evidence of effective screening of syphilis contributing to the effective treatment and prevention of adverse outcomes, routine antenatal screening of syphilis is recommended. The rationale depends on the consideration of the serious results of not treating the disease and the cost effectiveness of screening.

Author Biography

Ayse Seval Ozgu-Erdinc, Zekai Tahir Burak Women Health Care, Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey

Department of Perinatology

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Published

2015-09-27

How to Cite

Ensari T, Kirbas A, Ozgu-Erdinc AS, Gokay Saygan S, Erkaya S, Uygur D, Danisman N (2015) An eight-year retrospective analysis of antenatal screening results for syphilis: is it still cost effective?. J Infect Dev Ctries 9:1011–1015. doi: 10.3855/jidc.6064

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Issue

Vol. 9 No. 09: September 2015

Section

Brief Original Articles

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