Abstract
A serum Venereal Disease Research Laboratories (VDRL) test was carried out in 216 elderly patients with dementia or 'functional ' psychiatric illness, or both, as part of a community based screening program. The VDRL test was positive in 13 patients, 11 of whom (5.1%) had an actual past or present syphilitic infection as confirmed by the fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption test (FTA Abs). In six patients (2.8%) syphilis was newly detected, and in another two patients previously detected syphilis had been inadequately treated. Only two (0.9%) biologic false positive reactors were detected. These results question the belief that aging per se is a common cause of the biologic false positive reaction; and indicate a relatively high incidence of past or present syphilitic infection in geriatric patients with psychiatric illness in the community who have been referred for crisis intervention.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 361-363 |
| Number of pages | 3 |
| Journal | Western Journal of Medicine |
| Volume | 125 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| State | Published - Dec 1 1976 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Fingerprint
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Medicine(all)
Cite this
Screening for syphilis in an aged psychiatrically impaired population. / Raskind, M. A.; Eisdorfer, C.
In: Western Journal of Medicine, Vol. 125, No. 5, 01.12.1976, p. 361-363.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Screening for syphilis in an aged psychiatrically impaired population
AU - Raskind, M. A.
AU - Eisdorfer, C.
PY - 1976/12/1
Y1 - 1976/12/1
N2 - A serum Venereal Disease Research Laboratories (VDRL) test was carried out in 216 elderly patients with dementia or 'functional ' psychiatric illness, or both, as part of a community based screening program. The VDRL test was positive in 13 patients, 11 of whom (5.1%) had an actual past or present syphilitic infection as confirmed by the fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption test (FTA Abs). In six patients (2.8%) syphilis was newly detected, and in another two patients previously detected syphilis had been inadequately treated. Only two (0.9%) biologic false positive reactors were detected. These results question the belief that aging per se is a common cause of the biologic false positive reaction; and indicate a relatively high incidence of past or present syphilitic infection in geriatric patients with psychiatric illness in the community who have been referred for crisis intervention.
AB - A serum Venereal Disease Research Laboratories (VDRL) test was carried out in 216 elderly patients with dementia or 'functional ' psychiatric illness, or both, as part of a community based screening program. The VDRL test was positive in 13 patients, 11 of whom (5.1%) had an actual past or present syphilitic infection as confirmed by the fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption test (FTA Abs). In six patients (2.8%) syphilis was newly detected, and in another two patients previously detected syphilis had been inadequately treated. Only two (0.9%) biologic false positive reactors were detected. These results question the belief that aging per se is a common cause of the biologic false positive reaction; and indicate a relatively high incidence of past or present syphilitic infection in geriatric patients with psychiatric illness in the community who have been referred for crisis intervention.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0017041213&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0017041213&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
C2 - 983014
AN - SCOPUS:0017041213
VL - 125
SP - 361
EP - 363
JO - Western Journal of Medicine
JF - Western Journal of Medicine
SN - 0093-0415
IS - 5
ER -