Assessment of the value of rescreening for syphilis in the third trimester of pregnancy.
OBJECTIVE
Our aim is evaluating the need for repeating tests for syphilis on pregnant women in the third trimester.


METHODS
A single-center retrospective cohort study was performed on all women delivering 7/03-6/04.


RESULTS
During the study interval, 2244 women delivered at our hospital. Of those women having available records and attending at least one prenatal visit, 1940 (98.9%) were screened for syphilis at the first prenatal visit. Of the 1627 women beginning prenatal care prior to 27 weeks and delivering after 32 weeks, 1377 (84.6%) were rescreened in the third trimester. No cases of syphilis were identified with either the initial (upper limit of 95% CI 0.24%) or repeat (upper limit of 95% CI 0.34%) screening.


CONCLUSIONS
In our obstetric population, syphilis is so uncommon that mandated prenatal screening on more than one occasion seems unjustified and laws requiring repeated screening should be reevaluated.
Edwards
Rodney K
RK
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610-0294, USA.
Bennett
Margaret
M
Langstraat
Carrie
C
Greene
Daina
D
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D011295:Prenatal Care; D015995:Prevalence; D013587:Syphilis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D013588:Syphilis Serodiagnosis