The VDRL test, which stands for Venereal Disease Research Laboratory, is a blood test used to diagnose syphilis or lions, which is a sexually transmitted infection. In addition, this test may also be requested to accompany the disease of people with syphilis.
In some cases, the result of the syphilis test might give a false positive, which could mean that the person does not have syphilis for other diseases such as leprosy, tuberculosis or hepatitis, for example.
- This test should be done before leaving the pregnant woman and also in each pregnancy district as it is a disease that can have serious health complications during this phase.
- Learn more about recognizing syphilis symptoms.
The VDRL test is done by a simple blood test, all you have to do is go to a clinical lab and take the blood that needs to be tested in the lab.
For this test to be performed it is recommended to stay fasting for 4 hours, but this is not mandatory and the test result usually takes about 7 days.
Basically, the result of the VDRL exam could be
If the result is negative, it means that the person has never come into contact with the bacteria that cured syphilis.
The positive result usually indicates that the person has syphilis, however, there is also the possibility of having false positive results from cross-reactions that could occur and, in these cases, this could mean that the person may have other diseases such as brucellose, leprosy, hepatitis, malaria, asthma, tuberculosis, cancer and autoimmune diseases.
The result is considered positive when the dilution title starts at 1/16. This title means that if the blood is diluted 16 times, antibodies can still be identified.
Lower dilution titles such as 1/1, 1/2, 1/4, and 1/8 indicate that syphilis is possible because one of the four dilutions can be detected. As this is a possibility, it is important to return to your doctor. to request a confirmation exam, as this title could be the result of a cross-reaction, if you so choose, of a false positive. Lower grades are also found in primary syphilis, from which antibodies circulate in the blood at low concentrations.
Titles above 1/16 indicate that you have syphilis and therefore you should see your doctor to start treatment quickly.
The VDRL test during pregnancy should be done at the beginning of prenatal pregnancy and should be repeated in the second trimester, even if the result is negative, as the baby may have neurological problems if the mother has syphilis. You know the risks of syphilis, in your blood.
If the result is positive, the patient may transmit the disease to the baby through the placenta or genital canal if treatment does not progress properly.
If a pregnant woman is diagnosed with syphilis, the VDRL test should be performed monthly until the end of the embargo to confirm that the bacteria responsible for syphilis are eliminated. Treatment of syphilis is usually done with the antibiotic penicillin, used in pregnant women derived from this antibiotic such as amoxicillin, ampicillin or erythromycin for 15 to 30 days. Learn more about treating syphilis here.