Question

He nurse is reviewing laboratory results in the adolescent's medical record. The nurse is reviewing the adolescent's medical record. Which of the following conditions is the client most likely developing? Complete the following sentence by using the list of options (a, b, c).

"The adolescent's laboratory results show a positive result for Treponema pallidum antibody test, indicating possible _____."

a. Gonorrhea
b. Syphilis
c. Trichomoniasis

Answer 1

A positive result for Treponema pallidum antibody test indicates the adolescent is most likely developing syphilis, a condition diagnosed using treponemal serologic tests.

Step-by-step explanation:

The adolescent's laboratory results show a positive result for Treponema pallidum antibody test, indicating possible syphilis. Treponemal serologic tests such as the fluorescent Treponema pallidum antibody absorption (FTA-ABS), enzyme immunoassays (EIAS), and chemiluminescence immunoassays (CIA) are used to confirm the presence of antibodies specifically against T. pallidum antigens, which are associated with syphilis. This is in contrast to non-treponemal serologic tests like Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) and rapid plasma reagin (RPR) tests, which detect nonspecific antibodies produced during an infection.