Occasionally, a “Reactive Minimal” (minimally reactive) result will be reported on a specimen. In this situation, a fresh serum specimen should be tested. If the result of the second specimen remains ”Reactive Minimal”, additional clinical information should be obtained prior to any decision on patient status.
Which of the following is an example of a Treponemal antigen test used for the diagnosis of syphilis?
Fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption (FTA-ABS) test. It can be used to find syphilis except during the first 3 to 4 weeks after exposure. The test can be done on a sample of blood or spinal fluid.
Is Vdrl and RPR the same?
The rapid plasma reagin (RPR) test uses the same antigen as VDRL, but the antigen is bound to a carbon particle to allow visualization of the reaction without a microscope. VDRL or RPR titers are monitored to document response to therapy. RPR titers are frequently higher than VDRL titers.
What would cause a false positive RPR?
The RPR test also can produce false-positive results, suggesting you have syphilis when you actually don’t. One reason for a false positive is the presence of another disease that produces antibodies similar to the ones produced during a syphilis infection.
How accurate is the FTA-ABS test?
In the middle (secondary) stage of syphilis, the FTA-ABS test is most reliable and is reportedly positive in 100% of cases.
What is treponemal antibody testing?
The Treponemal antibody tests are more specifically directed at the syphilis bacteria and more accurate. But once these antibodies are formed, they remain in the blood for a lifetime and a positive result in the test may not indicate an active state of the disease.
What is the trab test for Graves’ disease?
The thyrotropin receptor antibody (TRAb) test is a blood test that helps doctors diagnose the autoimmune thyroid condition called Graves’ Disease. The antibodies it tests for are present in 90% of the people who have this disease. 1 . Other names for the TRAb test include:
How is a second treponemal-specific antibody test performed for syphilis?
To discriminate between a falsely reactive screening result and past syphilis, CDC recommends performing a second treponemal-specific antibody test using a method that is different from the initial screen test (eg, Treponema pallidum particle agglutination: TP-PA). At Bronson, this test is sent to the Michigan Dept of Public Health.
What is the prevalence of nonreactive treponemal test results?
A total of 3,664 (3%) of 116,822 specimens had test results (i.e., reactive treponemal test result and nonreactive nontreponemal test result) that would not have been identified by the traditional testing algorithms, which end testing if the nontreponemal test result is nonreactive.
