Using Surveillance Data to Respond to an Outbreak of Congenital Syphilis in Arizona Through Third-Trimester Screening Policies, 2017-2018.

Using Surveillance Data to Respond to an Outbreak of Congenital Syphilis in Arizona Through Third-Trimester Screening Policies, 2017-2018. Public Health Rep. 2020 Nov 19;:33354920967350 Authors: Sykes KJ, Scranton RA, Villarroel L, Anderson BV, Salek S, Stall J Abstract INTRODUCTION: The number of congenital syphilis (CS) cases in Arizona quadrupled from an average of 14 cases annually before 2017 to 61 cases in 2018, and a statewide outbreak was declared. The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) analyzed statewide surveillance data to identify missed opportunities for prevention and collaborated with the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) to inform response activities. METHODS: ADHS developed a metric to identify missed opportunities for CS prevention during pregnancy by using medical records, vital records, and case investigation notes for all mothers of infants born with CS from January 1, 2017, through June 30, 2018. AHCCCS conducted a cost-effectiveness analysis to calculate the effect of increasing perinatal syphilis screening. RESULTS: Arizona had 57 cases of CS during the study period, of which 17 (29.8%) could have been prevented through third-trimester screening for women who were in prenatal care but screened late (n = 9), were infected after their first prenatal visit screen (n = 7), or were reinfected after an initial reactive syphilis test and appropriate treatment and not rescr...
Source: Public Health Reports - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Tags: Public Health Rep Source Type: research