6 NEWS
6 NEWS
11 APRIL 2025 ausdoc. com. au
‘ Screen 3 times for syphilis’
Jessica Michaels. |
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Mohana Basu SOLITARY syphilis tests in early pregnancy have failed to prevent congenital cases, say sexual health experts as they promote new guidelines recommending three tests during pregnancy.
The new Communicable Diseases Network Australia guidelines were published late last year following a record 20 congenital syphilis cases in 2023.
Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine
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deputy CEO Jessica Michaels said most women in these cases were diagnosed later in pregnancy, having contracted the infection after being tested.
“ It was the highest number of congenital syphilis cases since 1995 and the highest number of associated deaths ever reported in a single year— 10 infant deaths,” she said.
This highlighted that using risk factors to decide on more comprehensive screening was unreliable.
“ Clinicians often feel uncomfortable asking patients about
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sexual history, and assumptions are made, such as believing that pregnancy automatically means someone is in a monogamous relationship,” she said.
Syphilis cases have steadily risen in Australia since 2015.
Ms Michaels said transmission had expanded well beyond traditional communities of concern, such as men who have sex with men.
However, Aboriginal women and women in remote areas remained disproportionately affected, she said.
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Even with guidelines now recommending three tests, she said logistical hurdles remained.
“ There are significant challenges for pregnant people in remote areas: distance, cost, adverse weather and even healthcare worker shortages can delay testing.”
The key issue, she emphasised, was not patients failing to seek care but a lack of testing consistency.
“ This is a completely preventable condition; no baby should be born with syphilis.”
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Unnamed babies at risk: study
Ciara Seccombe IT might be worth advising antenatal patients to have their baby’ s name locked in before they get to delivery day.
The American Academy of Pediatrics says it is easier to mix up babies who do not have names, leading to an increase in clinical errors. It says that medical orders are prone to being recorded in the wrong unidentified baby’ s chart, or even the wrong mother’ s chart when the newborns are not easily distinguishable.
In extreme cases, babies had received incorrect medical procedures.
In extreme cases, babies had received incorrect medical procedures and been discharged with the wrong parents, the academy said.
Newborns are particularly vulnerable to misidentification, as many of them will share identical or similar birthdates, lack distinguishing physical features, and twins will even share surnames.
A study by the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority found 11 % of newborn medical record errors were due to confusion between unnamed babies, and in some hospitals, this was a daily occurrence.
The academy’ s new guidelines instruct hospital staff to label unnamed babies with their surname, sex and mother’ s name( eg,“ Smith, GirlMarie” or“ Smith, Boy- Marie”) and a number for multiple births. Pa Patient Saf Advis 2016 Jun; 13( 2): 42-49.