More help is on the way for clinicians battling the meteoric rise of congenital syphilis in Texas, as the Texas Collaborative for Healthy Mothers and Babies (TCHMB) rolls out a toolkit designed to standardize treatment and educate medical staff.
Congenital syphilis has “come back with a vengeance in our state,” according to incoming TCHMB chair Alice Gong, MD. Approximately one in four cases of congenital syphilis nationwide is diagnosed in Texas, according to state data. It’s a disease that shows no signs of abatement.
Information presented in the toolkit is another way to educate providers, says Dr. Gong, a consultant to the Texas Medical Association’s Council on Science and Public Health.
“Making sure everybody knows, from the receptionist to the medical assistant to all the other people in the clinic, is important,” she said.
TCHMB’s Screening and Treatment in Outpatient Pregnancy Care to Prevent Congenital Syphilis program is known by the shorthand “STOP CS” toolkit. Six clinics from around the state have been chosen for the initial rollout to gauge usage and success and get feedback from different areas around Texas.
“Maybe some of them are doing it perfectly, but Texas is a big state,” Dr. Gong said. “The goal is to roll this out to all the prenatal clinics once the pilot is done, and they can figure out what things need tweaking.”
Charleta Guillory, MD, was the TCHMB chair during the STOP CS toolkit’s development. “We are seeing an increasing number of infants presenting with congenital syphilis and its clinical manifestations – including hepatosplenomegaly, characteristic rashes, and cases of neurosyphilis that were previously uncommon,” Dr. Guillory said.
The toolkit provides visual aids to support recognition of syphilis in pregnant women, along with clear, evidence-based treatment guidelines.
Part of TCHMB’s mission is to advance health care quality and patient safety, ultimately improving the health outcomes of mothers and babies. By developing standardized, evidence‑based guidelines within the STOP CS Toolkit, TCHMB helps ensure that patients receive consistent, high‑quality care – whether they’re in San Antonio, Lubbock, or any other community across Texas.
“Neonatology is a specialty that relies heavily on clear, evidenced-based guidelines,” said Dr. Guillory, who concluded her term as TCHMB chair in January. “When you have numerous physicians collaborating in a single care environment, standardized, precisely written guidance is essential to ensuring continuity and comprehensive care for every patient.”
The toolkit also includes a decision-making flowchart to help physicians decide what to do through each step. And there are educational resources for the expectant mothers, who often get just one dose of penicillin during perinatal treatment when three are usually needed, Dr. Gong said.
TMA’s Committee on Reproductive, Women’s, and Perinatal Health and Committee on Infectious Diseases are both at work to aid in the ongoing public health response. TMA members are answering calls on a new hotline any clinician can call with syphilis-related questions, regardless of complexity. TCHMB’s new toolkit, designed to be ultimately rolled out statewide, is yet another resource.
Congenital syphilis can cause stillbirth, miscarriage, infant death or ignite serious complications for the mother and baby, according to the TCHMB. Not all babies show symptoms at birth, but if left untreated, congenital syphilis can lead to death, seizures, or developmental delays.
For more information about the STOP CS toolkit, contact TCHMB via email at tchmb-stopcs@uth.tmc.edu.