Syphilis Serologies: A Practical Approach for the Primary Care Clinician
Date:
01/15/2023
Locations:
Citation:
Gilliams EA, Lorenz Z, Hamill MM. Syphilis Serologies: A Practical Approach for the Primary Care Clinician. Med Clin North Am. 2024 Mar;108(2):325-337. doi: 10.1016/j.mcna.2023.08.002. Epub 2023 Sep 7. PMID: 38331483.
Abstract
This series of vignettes highlights the concepts in syphilis serologic interpretation. Even with this guidance, the interpretation of syphilis serologies is complex and can be ambiguous; definitive criteria for cure or failure by serologic assessment have not been well established.3 Several resources are available to assist clinicians in syphilis management. The 2021 CDC Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) Treatment guidelines outline screening, interpretation, and treatment recommendations.3 The National STD Curriculum (std.uw.edu) is a free educational Web site with self-study lessons and a question bank. The CDC National Network of STI Clinical Prevention Training Centers (NNPTCs) offer a free STI Clinical Consultation Service (stdccn.org) that provides expert advice over email or telephone on specific patient scenarios. For health care professionals in the United States, the NNPTCs offer training on STI prevention topics (https://www.cdc.gov/std/projects/nnptc.htm). Local health departments play a vital role in maintaining testing and treatment histories for reportable conditions, including syphilis. Clinicians should familiarize themselves with their local health department contacts to retrieve records and get assistance with requests from other jurisdictions. Finally, infectious diseases clinicians will have experience in the interpretation of syphilis serology and should be consulted for advice when appropriate.