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• Gestational syphilis was higher in younger women with newborns with lower birth weight. • Rapid plasma reagin titers in maternal/cord blood are good predictors of congenital syphilis. • A congenital syphilis rate of 38.0% was confirmed in 71 newborns, with data available. • Attention to treatment failure/reinfection in women will reduce congenital syphilis. The objective of this study was to explore the factors and outcomes associated with gestational syphilis in Peru. Women from the miscarriage, vaginal delivery, and C-section wards from a large maternity hospital in Lima with or without syphilis diagnosis were enrolled and their pregnancy outcomes compared. Maternal syphilis status using maternal blood and child serostatus using cord blood were determined by rapid plasma reagin (RPR) and rapid syphilis tests. The newborns' clinical records were used to determine congenital syphilis. A total of 340 women were enrolled, 197 were positive and 143 were negative for RPR/rapid syphilis tests. Antibody titers in sera from cord and maternal blood were comparable with RPR titers and were highly correlated (rho = 0.82, P <0.001). Young age (P = 0.009) and lower birth weight (P = 0.029) were associated with gestational syphilis. Of the women with gestational syphilis, 76% had received proper treatment. Mothers of all newborns with congenital syphilis also received appropriate treatment. Treatment of their sexual partners was not documented. Syphilis during pregnancy remains a major cause of the fetal loss and devastating effects of congenital syphilis in newborns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objetivo: evaluar el efecto de una intervención educativa al personal de salud en la adherencia a las guías de manejo de la sífilis gestacional (SG) y congénita (SC), el reporte oportuno y adecuado de los casos, y su percepción acerca de utilización de la prueba rápida para el diagnóstico de la sífilis. Materiales y métodos: se realizó un estudio de intervención con medición antes-después. Población: trabajadores en centros de primer nivel de atención del área rural de la población de Turbo ubicada en la región del Caribe colombiano, en zona limítrofe con Panamá, en el año 2008. La intervención consistió en capacitación al personal de salud, entrega de material impreso y disponibilidad de prueba rápida para sífilis. Se evaluó la adquisición de conocimiento por parte del personal de salud intervenido y el efecto de la capacitación en el proceso de atención, la adherencia a las guías y la notificación y percepción de los trabajadores de la aplicación de la prueba rápida. La información se obtuvo directamente del personal de salud y de las historias clínicas de las mujeres que asistieron al programa. Análisis: para evaluar los cambios en la calificación de los exámenes de conocimiento se utilizó la prueba de rangos de Wilcoxon. Para la evaluación de los cambios en las proporciones de cumplimiento de recomendaciones se utilizó la prueba de chi cuadrado y se fijó un nivel de significancia estadística del 5%. Resultados: se evaluaron 533 historias clínicas y se capacitaron 129 personas. El reporte de casos de sífilis gestacional en Turbo mejoró de forma significativa (8% frente a 48%, p = 0,01), al igual que el nivel de conocimientos en el personal de salud (p = 0,002), la búsqueda (18% frente a 53% p = 0,001) y el tratamiento de contactos (10% frente a 29%, p = 0,034) y el tratamiento adecuado de los recién nacidos (47% frente a 85%, p = 0,03). La opinión del personal de salud acerca de la prueba rápida para sífilis fue favorable. Conclusiones: la capacitación de los trabajadores del sector salud en el manejo de la sífilis congénita mejora la calidad de la atención a las gestantes y los recién nacidos con sífilis.Objective: Evaluating the effect of an educational intervention aimed at healthcare personnel regarding adherence to gestational syphilis (GS) and congenital syphilis (CS) management guidelines, early and suitable reporting of cases of GS and CS and their perception about using a rapid point-ofcare test for diagnosing syphilis. Materials and methods: An intervention study was carried out involving before and after measurement. Population: staff working in first-level healthcare centres in a rural area attending the population of Turbo located in Colombia’s Caribbean region, close to Panamá, during 2008. Such intervention consisted of training healthcare staff, delivering printed material and providing a rapid point-ofcare syphilis test. How effectively the healthcare staff had acquired such knowledge and the effect of the training given on attending patients was evaluated regarding adherence to the guidelines, notification and workers’ perception of using the rapid test. Information was directly obtained from the healthcare staff and the clinical histories of females attending the programme. Statistical analysis: A Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for evaluating changes when scoring the test of their knowledge (before/after). A Chi² test was used for evaluating changes in percentages regarding fulfilling the recommendations (statistical significance was fixed at 5%). Results: 533 clinical histories were evaluated and 129 people were trained. Reporting GS cases in Turbo improved significantly (8% vs 48%; p = 0.01), as well as the healthcare personnel’s level of knowledge (p = 0.002), the search for (18% vs 53%; p = 0.001) and treatment of contacts (10% vs 29%; p = 0.034) and suitable treatment of the new-born (47% vs 85%; p = 0.03). Healthcare personnel had a favourable opinion about the rapid syphilis test. Conclusions: Training orientated towards resolving local problems improves the quality of healthcare attention provided for pregnant females and newborns babies suffering syphilis.

Objective: Evaluating the effect of an educational intervention aimed at healthcare personnel regarding adherence to gestational syphilis (GS) and congenital syphilis (CS) management guidelines, early and suitable reporting of cases of GS and CS and their perception about using a rapid point-ofcare test for diagnosing syphilis. Materials and methods: An intervention study was carried out involving before and after measurement. Population: staff working in first-level healthcare centres in a rural area attending the population of Turbo located in Colombia's Caribbean region, close to Panamá, during 2008. Such intervention consisted of training healthcare staff, delivering printed material and providing a rapid point-ofcare syphilis test. How effectively the healthcare staff had acquired such knowledge and the effect of the training given on attending patients was evaluated regarding adherence to the guidelines, notification and workers' perception of using the rapid test. Information was directly obtained from the healthcare staff and the clinical histories of females attending the programme. Statistical analysis: A Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for evaluating changes when scoring the test of their knowledge (before/after). A Chi2 test was used for evaluating changes in percentages regarding fulfilling the recommendations (statistical significance was fixed at 5%). Results: 533 clinical histories were evaluated and 129 people were trained. Reporting GS cases in Turbo improved significantly (8% vs 48%; p = 0.01), as well as the healthcare personnel's level of knowledge (p = 0.002), the search for (18% vs 53%; p = 0.001) and treatment of contacts (10% vs 29%; p = 0.034) and suitable treatment of the new-born (47% vs 85%; p = 0.03). Healthcare personnel had a favourable opinion about the rapid syphilis test. Conclusions: Training orientated towards resolving local problems improves the quality of healthcare attention provided for pregnant females and newborns babies suffering syphilis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]