title: Preventing congenital syphilis - a regional audit of syphilis in pregnant women seen in Genitourinary Medicine services.
abstract: Genitourinary case records of 42 pregnant women with syphilis were reviewed as part of a regional audit following the re-emergence of congenital syphilis in the north east of England. National standards, from the British Association of Sexual Health and HIV guidelines on managing syphilis in pregnancy, were met in the majority of cases with 69% being treated according to national guidance and all cases completing treatment. Locally developed standards on multidisciplinary working and communication were met less well, with particular issues regarding the documentation of pregnancy outcomes in GUM records and communication between specialities being highlighted. A regional good practice guide has been developed and implemented to address standards not met, reduce adverse outcomes and prevent future cases of congenital syphilis.
authors.affiliation: Sunderland Royal Hospital, City Hospitals Sunderland, Sunderland, UK.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hussey
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hew
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Waldram
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008485:Medical Audit; D008499:Medical Records; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000379:methods; D015995:Prevalence; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013587:Syphilis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D013588:Syphilis Serodiagnosis; D013590:Syphilis, Congenital / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014210:Treponema pallidum / Q000302:isolation & purification*
keywords: Europe; Syphilis (Treponema pallidum); audit; congenital syphilis; pregnancy; prevention; sexually transmitted infections; women