Biomaterial Database

Routine Serologic Testing for Syphilis in a Community Medical Practice. 1980

P W Ho, and F D Pein, and K A Pruett

A retrospective review of 8,100 serologic tests for syphilis ordered during a 42-month period yielded positive rapid plasma reagin test results in 127 patients (1.6 percent) and a positive fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption reaction in 91 patients (1.1 percent). Of the 36 cases of biologic false-positive reactions, most were in prenatal patients. Forty-six cases of syphilis were previously undiagnosed but antibiotic therapy was given in only 26 of the patients. Some 24 percent of syphilitic patients were not treated because the positive serologic findings were overlooked. Cerebrospinal fluid determinations were analyzed and cost-effectiveness of finding a single case of previously undiagnosed syphilis was calculated. We found that routine serologic tests and cerebrospinal fluid studies for syphilis in asymptomatic patients had low rates of positivity in our community hospital and outpatient practice.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D003365	Costs and Cost Analysis	Absolute, comparative, or differential costs pertaining to services, institutions, resources, etc., or the analysis and study of these costs.	Affordability,Analysis, Cost,Cost,Cost Analysis,Cost Comparison,Cost Measures,Cost-Minimization Analysis,Costs and Cost Analyses,Costs, Cost Analysis,Pricing,Affordabilities,Analyses, Cost,Analyses, Cost-Minimization,Analysis, Cost-Minimization,Comparison, Cost,Comparisons, Cost,Cost Analyses,Cost Comparisons,Cost Measure,Cost Minimization Analysis,Cost, Cost Analysis,Cost-Minimization Analyses,Costs,Measure, Cost,Measures, Cost
D006254	Hawaii	A group of islands in Polynesia, in the north central Pacific Ocean, comprising eight major and 114 minor islands, largely volcanic and coral. Its capital is Honolulu. It was first reached by Polynesians about 500 A.D. It was discovered and named the Sandwich Islands in 1778 by Captain Cook. The islands were united under the rule of King Kamehameha 1795-1819 and requested annexation to the United States in 1893 when a provisional government was set up. Hawaii was established as a territory in 1900 and admitted as a state in 1959. The name is from the Polynesian Owhyhii, place of the gods, with reference to the two volcanoes Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, regarded as the abode of the gods. (From Webster's New Geographical Dictionary, 1988, p493 & Room, Brewer's Dictionary of Names, 1992, p2330)	Midway Island,Midway Islands
D006764	Hospitals, Community	Institutions with permanent facilities and organized medical staff which provide the full range of hospital services primarily to a neighborhood area.	Community Hospital,Community Hospitals,Hospital, Community
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012189	Retrospective Studies	Studies used to test etiologic hypotheses in which inferences about an exposure to putative causal factors are derived from data relating to characteristics of persons under study or to events or experiences in their past. The essential feature is that some of the persons under study have the disease or outcome of interest and their characteristics are compared with those of unaffected persons.	Retrospective Study,Studies, Retrospective,Study, Retrospective
D013587	Syphilis	A contagious venereal disease caused by the spirochete TREPONEMA PALLIDUM.	Great Pox
D013588	Syphilis Serodiagnosis	Serologic tests for syphilis.	Kahn Test,Wassermann Reaction,Serodiagnosis, Syphilis,Reaction, Wassermann,Serodiagnoses, Syphilis,Syphilis Serodiagnoses,Test, Kahn