Evaluation of the Incidence of Gestational Syphilis in the city of Cascavel-PR in the last 10 years

Abstract

Syphilis is one of the most common congenital infections in the world and has severe consequences for the mother and fetus if left untreated. Their number has been increasing year by year in Brazil and, therefore, recognition of prenatal care and adequate treatment must be a priority. Pregnant women should be tested at the beginning of prenatal care and at the beginning of the third trimester. The disease is divided into recent (primary, secondary and recent latent) and late (late latent and tertiary) stages and its clinical manifestations will depend on the stage of the disease. Diagnostic methods can be divided into direct examinations and immunological tests (treponemal and non-treponemal). The treatment is carried out solely with Benzathine Penicillin as it is the only one capable of preventing vertical transmission. Gestational Syphilis can involve a series of complications for the fetus and also for infected children born with the virus through vertical transmission. This is a cross-sectional analytical observational study, with collection of quantitative and qualitative data in compulsory notification forms available at the Health Department of the Municipality of Cascavel-PR, with the objective of evaluating the incidence of Gestational Syphilis in the city of Cascavel PR in the years of 2013 to 22, analyzing whether there was adequate prenatal care and treatment for pregnant women and the importance of this assessment at the public health level in Brazil. There was a predominance of pregnant women aged 22 to 33 years, white, with complete secondary education, diagnosed in the 1st trimester of pregnancy and with a titer of 1:16 at the time of diagnosis. It was concluded that even though the number of gestational syphilis does not present a high prevalence when compared to the number of total pregnancies, the disease is increasing in this region, with a value of 24% when compared from 2013 to 2022. This work also discovered that 3 doses of benzathine penicillin are being used for primary, secondary or recent latent syphilis, where there would only be a need for 2,400,000UI (1,200,000UI in each gluteal) single dose. From the data obtained, it was possible to analyze the management of doctors in the prenatal care of these pregnant women, since they are carrying out early identification of the disease but failing to treat unnecessary doses.