VDRL Test Price, Reasons, Test Results

VDRL test is a blood test which is done to diagnose syphilis. Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum. The full form of VDRL is the Venereal Disease Research Laboratory.

Although a VDRL test does not screen for this bacteria, instead, it checks for the presence of anti-syphilis antibodies in the blood.

Antibodies are an immune system protein that your body makes to fight harmful pathogens.

Because it travels in the bloodstream, Treponema pallidum can easily spread to healthy individuals through direct contact with infected blood. This disease can also spread from mother to child through the placenta.

If a person shows symptoms of syphilis, the doctor orders a VDRL test.

The VDRL test is a part of routine testing for prenatal care and pregnancy in many countries. It is recommended for anyone showing symptoms of any sexually transmitted disease.

Tests can also be done to check the progress of syphilis antibiotic treatment.

Symptoms of syphilis have the following three stages: –

• Primary stage, characterized by painless open sores at the point of contact, skin rash, body aches and fever. This can last for 6 months.
• Secondary stage, in which the disease spreads throughout the body and the symptoms gradually disappear.
• Tertiary stage, characterized by loss of muscle control. This can cause personality changes, memory loss and hallucinations.

In between the secondary and tertiary stages, there may be a latent stage, which is typically asymptomatic, although the presence of infection can be detected by blood tests. Therefore, testing for syphilis is important for the health of a person and those close to him.

No special preparation is required for this test. Inform your doctor about any vitamin, herbal or medical supplements you are taking.

Your doctor should also be aware of your use of any over-the-counter medications or illegal drugs. Medicines can affect blood test reports, therefore, it is essential that you do not change the course of any medicine without informing your doctor.

This is a simple test in which a blood sample is taken from a vein in one arm. For this, a laboratory technician may first tie a tourniquet around your upper arm and clean a small area of the arm with an antiseptic solution. Next, they will use a needle to withdraw blood from a major vein. You may feel slight pain due to the prick of the needle, but it will go away soon.

The blood sample is transferred to a clean sterile tube and labeled with your name and sent for testing.

The technician applies some cotton gauze at the puncture site to stop bleeding. Finally, the site is covered with a bandage. Some people experience bruising at the puncture site, but this usually subsides on its own.

e, it is essential that you do not change the course of any medicine without informing your doctor.

Normal Results

The normal result for the VDRL test is negative. This result means that anti-syphilis antibodies were not found in the blood sample, which corresponds to the absence of syphilis bacteria in the body.

However, the VDRL test has a high proportion of false negatives when the disease has progressed to the tertiary stage or is in the early primary stage.

Abnormal Results

If the report is positive, it is called abnormal. This means that, there are antibodies against syphilis bacteria in your blood, which are related to the presence of the bacteria in the body. Positive results are usually seen in the secondary and latent stages.

This test has a high frequency of false positives when the person is affected by other diseases such as HIV, malaria, Lyme disease, certain pneumonias or systemic lupus erythematosus. Therefore, it is important to confirm the results of the VDRL test with other tests. Doctors usually order further tests to confirm positive VDRL results.

This is a silent infection and it spreads through blood flow, hence it becomes necessary to get it checked during pregnancy. This disease can also spread from mother to child through the placenta and there is a risk of miscarriage.