Article Sidebar
Article Details
Copyright remains in the Author’s name. The work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution - Noncommercial Works License. Authors are required to complete and sign an Author Agreement form that outlines Author and Publisher rights and terms of publication. The Agreement form should be uploaded along with other submissions files and any submission will be considered incomplete without it [forthcoming].
Material submitted for publication in the SAMJ is accepted provided it has not been published or submitted for publication elsewhere. Please inform the editorial team if the main findings of your paper have been presented at a conference and published in abstract form, to avoid copyright infringement. The SAMJ does not hold itself responsible for statements made by the authors.
Previously published images
If an image/figure has been previously published, permission to reproduce or alter it must be obtained by the authors from the original publisher and the figure legend must give full credit to the original source. This credit should be accompanied by a letter indicating that permission to reproduce the image has been granted to the author/s. This letter should be uploaded as a supplementary file during submission.
Main Article Content
On-site screening for syphilis at an antenatal clinic
Abstract
Objective. To determine the validity, predictive value and accuracy of the rapid plasma reagin card test performed on site to diagnose active syphilis in pregnant women so that immediate treatment can be offered to prevent congenital syphilis.
Design. Open, descriptive study.
Setting. Antenatal clinic, Mamelodi Hospital, Pretoria.
Patients. Four hundred and seventy-four pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic for the first time were entered into the study.
Methods. A rapid plasma reagin test was performed on site with no specialised equipment and the results were compared with those of the reference laboratory.
Results. In the event of rapid plasma reagin titres of 1:8 and higher, indicative of active syphilis, the on-site rapid plasma reagin test had a sensitivity of 90.5%. The test had a sensitivity of 100% if the rapid plasma reagin titres were 1:16 and higher.
Conclusion. The on-site rapid plasma reagin test identified all women with rapid plasma reagin titres higher than 1:8. This implies that all women whose fetuses were in danger of acquiring congenital syphilis were identified at the clinic and could be treated immediately.
