VDRL: examination makes diagnosis of syphilis by Lucinete Messina

Blood antibody test shows whether person has ever been infected with the bacterium
What is?
VDRL is a blood test to diagnose syphilis. The test identifies antibodies that the body produces to fight the bacterium Treponema pallidum, which causes the disease - so, only those antibodies in the body have those people who have already come into contact with the bacteria.
People who have been infected with syphilis at some point in their lives carry antibodies to the bacteria for life. Therefore, even people who are already cured will present positive results in this examination.
Indications
The VDRL can be requested for people who:
Have syphilis symptoms, such as genital or throat wounds
They are receiving treatment for another type of STD, such as gonorrhea
Are pregnant as part of prenatal testing
Have risky sexual activity
They are infected with the HIV virus
Have one or more partner (s) diagnosed with syphilis.
People who do not have symptoms of syphilis and do not fit into any of the above conditions can also take the exam for screening.
Syphilis: CSF collection shows whether bacteria have reached the nervous system
Contraindications
There are no express contraindications for a complete blood count. However, the doctor or doctor can tell you whether you are fit to take the test or not.
Pregnant can do?
Yes, even VDRL is part of the battery of prenatal tests, as syphilis infection can affect the health of the fetus.
Preparation for the exam
Because it is a common blood test, there is no special preparation for the creatinine dosage. If the blood sample is used only to dose this substance, no special recommendation is necessary. If the sample is used for other tests, the laboratory will probably guide you about the care.
Indeed
In a hospital or laboratory, the VDRL is performed by a health professional as follows:
With the patient seated, a rubber band is tied around his arm to stop the flow of blood. This makes the veins widen, helping the professional to hit one of them
The professional cleans the area of ​​the arm to be penetrated by the needle
The needle is inserted into the vein. This procedure can be done more than once, until the health professional hits the vein and succeeds in withdrawing the blood
Blood collected in the syringe and placed in a tube
The elastic is removed and a gauze is placed where the healthcare professional inserted the needle to prevent any bleeding. He or she can put pressure on the bandage to stanch blood.
A bandage is placed on the spot.
The diagnostic test for syphilis can also be done with a sample of fluid from the spinal cord.
The VDRL exam takes only a few minutes to complete and may take longer in cases where the health care provider has difficulty hitting the vein to collect blood.
Post-examination recommendations
There are no special recommendations after the examination. The patient can do his / her activities normally. If the blood sample is used for other tests that required fasting, the patient may feed after collection.
Frequency of examination
There is no periodicity to perform the VDRL. Everything will depend on the doctor's guidelines and the presence or absence of diseases that must be accompanied by the examination.
However, it is recommended that this test be done annually, along with research for other types of STDs, such as AIDS.
The risks involved in performing the VDRL exam are extremely rare. At most, there may be a hematoma at the site where blood was withdrawn. In some cases, the vein may become swollen after the blood sample is collected (phlebitis), but this can be reversed by making a compress several times a day.
People who use anticoagulant medications or have coagulation problems may suffer from continuous bleeding after collection. In such cases, it is important to inform the health care professional of the problem prior to collection.
Results
Ideally, the result should be negative for antibodies to syphilis. A negative VDRL result suggests that you do not have the disease. However, it can happen to be a false negative, especially if the infection occurred in less than three months - is the so-called latent phase of the disease, when it has not yet manifested itself.
If the result is positive, you probably have syphilis. The doctor or doctor may ask for more specific tests to confirm the diagnosis. However, the exam can also be a false positive if the person has:
HIV
Lyme disease
Malaria
Pneumonia
Systemic lupus erythematosus.
In addition, the antibodies remain in your body even after syphilis is treated. This means that the results will always be positive after the first infection, even if you are not infected.