Syphilis testing: Reverse to move forward

By Jeanne Rhea-McManus, PhD, MBA, DABCC, NRCC and Jim Aguanno, PhD 

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Upon completion of this article, the reader will be able to:

  1. Discuss healthcare statistics and the causative agent of syphilis.
  2. Describe the different stages of syphilis.
  3. Describe detection methods and types of assays for syphilis and their limitations.
  4. Discuss the algorithms used in the diagnosis of syphilis and their limitations.

About the Authors

Jeanne Rhea-McManus, PhD, MBA, DABCC, NRCC has been with Siemens Healthineers for eight years, previously as a Medical Officer and currently as the Senior Director of Medical Science Information and Communication. 

Jim Aguanno, PhD has over 40 years of experience in laboratory medicine. He received a BS in Chemistry and a PhD in Biochemistry from Memphis State University. Following his PhD, he did two post-doctoral fellowships: one at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in Biochemistry and a second fellowship in Laboratory Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine and Barnes Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. Dr. Aguanno is currently Senior Clinical Consultant in the Medical and Scientific Affairs group at Siemens Healthineers.

Photo credit: Gilnature | iStockGettyImagesPlus

Not Enrolled

Course Includes

  • 1 Article
  • 1 Test
  • Course Certificate
  • MLO and Northern Illinois University (NIU), DeKalb, IL, are co-sponsors in offering continuing education units (CEUs) for this issue’s CE article. CEUs or contact hours are granted by the College of Health and Human Sciences at Northern Illinois University, which has been approved as a provider of continuing education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E.® program. Continuing education credits awarded for successful completion of this test are acceptable for the ASCP Board of Registry Continuing Competence Recognition Program. Readers who pass the test successfully (scoring 70% or higher) will receive a certificate for 1 contact hour of P.A.C.E.® credit. The fee for this continuing education test is $20. This test was prepared by Amanda Voelker, MPH, MT(ASCP), MLS, Clinical Education Coordinator, School of Health Studies, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL.

    Level of Instruction:
    Passing scores of 70 percent or higher are eligible for contact hour of P.A.C.E. credit. This test is no longer valid for CEUs after .

    NIU is approved as a provider of continuing education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E. ® Program.