VDRL Test: Understanding This Important Screening for Your Health

The venereal disease research laboratory (VDRL) test is a type of blood test used by medical professionals to detect syphilis infections. Syphilis is a type of sexually transmitted disease (STD) that spreads from a patient to their sexual partner, and even though some people get the symptoms early, some may be asymptomatic at first. Syphilis is one of the most prevalent sexually transmitted diseases caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum, and its symptoms depend on its stage. That’s why doctors can direct the patient to undergo the VDRL test to diagnose if they have syphilis.    

What is a VDRL Test? 

To determine if you have syphilis, a sexually transmitted illness (STI), your doctor can give you the venereal disease research laboratory (VDRL) test. Treponema pallidum is the bacteria that causes syphilis after entering the body through genital areas or mouth. The germs that cause syphilis are not detected by the VDRL test, rather it looks for antibodies your body produces in reaction to antigens made by bacteria-damaged cells.  

Your immune system produces a type of protein called an antibody to ward off pathogens like bacteria, and a lab technician can determine whether you have syphilis by testing for these antibodies. People do not need to exhibit syphilis symptoms for this test to be accurate, and oftentimes, the VDRL test is performed when doctors need to be sure if the patient has the illness even though they don’t have symptoms.   

When is the VDRL Test Used?  

For sexually active people, the VDRL is frequently used as a component of a general sexual health screening program. However, due to the possibility of syphilis spreading from mother to child during pregnancy, VDRL screening in pregnancy is also advised for use in expectant mothers. The VDRL test is also used to diagnose those who have rashes or sores, which may or may not be signs of syphilis for that patient. Additional testing is necessary to confirm the diagnosis and choose the best course of therapy if the VDRL test results are positive. 

If your doctor thinks you have syphilis symptoms, they will definitely request a VDRL test! Your doctor may order this test in response to early symptoms such as a tiny, painless sore, swelling in the lymph nodes surrounding the lesion, and a non-itching skin rash.  

If you have HIV, are under treatment for other STDs like gonorrhea, or have participated in high-risk sexual behavior, your doctor may additionally test you for syphilis with this test. Medical professionals advise being tested again after receiving syphilis therapy to ensure that the infection has been cured, and the treatment was effective for the patient. 

VDRL Test Procedure 

There is no need to prepare in advance for the VDRL blood test, but the patient must tell the doctor about any illicit narcotics or over-the-counter treatments they take. The patient should also let the doctor know if they are taking any vitamins, herbal remedies, or prescription drugs before the test! A small sample of blood will be drawn from an arm vein for the test, therefore it's critical to inform the doctor if the patient has a history of bleeding disorders or is on blood thinners to avoid complications. Most of the time, physicians use patient blood samples to measure VDRL levels, however, a CSF sample can be used for the test as well.   

• Blood Sample Collection
  
  During a blood sample collection procedure, a needle is utilized to puncture a vein in the patient's arm, and then blood is extracted and collected in the syringe. A rubber band may be fastened to the injection site to make it easier to locate the veins, and after the blood collection, it is removed.
   
• CSF (Cerebrospinal Fluid) Collection
  
  Since illnesses like syphilis can spread to brain tissue, spinal fluid can be examined in addition to blood tests to diagnose it. Physicians use a procedure called a spinal tap or lumbar puncture to obtain CSF samples, and during the procedure, a person will lie on their side and raise their legs to their chest. The medical practitioner will clean and numb the injection site using a local anesthetic, and after that, a spinal needle will be inserted into the lower spine to extract a tiny quantity of CSF. 

What do the VDRL Test Results Indicate?  

VDRL test positive means there are antibodies detected in your blood, and you may have syphilis, and a negative test result suggests that your blood sample did not include any syphilis-related antibodies. The secondary and latent stages of syphilis are when the screening test is most likely to come up positive, what’s more, when syphilis is in its early or late stages, this test may produce a false-negative result. That is why, if the doctor suspects syphilis infection, to diagnose the disease, this result has to be verified by another blood test.  

Healthcare professionals recommend that those with a high risk of contracting syphilis should think about undergoing screening tests on a regular basis, roughly every three months. One thing to remember, a negative CSF test does not rule out a diagnosis of neurosyphilis.   

Possibility of False Positive or False Negative Results   

As we have mentioned before, the severity of the illness determines whether the VDRL test can identify syphilis, and only in the secondary and latent stages, the test's sensitivity to identify syphilis is 100%. For instance, if you have had syphilis for less than three months, your body may take this long to produce antibodies, which might lead to false-negative findings. What’s more, just in a similar manner, in cases of late-stage syphilis, the test is also unreliable.  

In certain situations, even if you have had syphilis, your body cannot create antibodies, and the VDRL test will thus be erroneous as well. A physician will do additional testing, such as the fluorescence treponemal absorption assay if they have doubts about the test finding!  

On the other hand, since the accuracy of the VDRL blood test is not always guaranteed, false-positive results can also be caused by certain factors that are mentioned below.   

• HIV 
• Lyme illness 
• IV drug usage for systemic lupus erythematosus 
• Tuberculosis 
• Malaria 
• Pregnancy 
• Aging 
• Immunization 

Even after receiving treatment for syphilis, the antibodies created because of the infection may remain in your body, which implies that you may consistently have positive test results for some time. 

Final Remarks  

The VDRL test is used by physicians to check for syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease. The test measures the quantity of antibodies in a person's blood or spinal fluid that are created as a result of the infection. However, the VDRL test result is not always correct because certain circumstances might alter its findings, and doctors may suggest another test if they strongly suspect that you have syphilis.   

To receive the test without any hassle, contact Pathkind Labs! You can check the VDRL test price and get the test done by professional lab technicians without delay!