Conjunctivitis screening

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Sara Mehrsefat, M.D. [2]

Overview

General screening for conjunctivitis is not recommended. However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), screening for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) is recommended among pregnant women to prevent conjunctivitis and other medical conditions in newborns.

Screening

General screening for conjunctivitis is not recommended. However, if a baby is born to a mother who has an sexually transmitted disease (STD), during delivery the bacteria (Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae) or virus (Herpes simplex virus) can pass from the birth canal into the baby's eyes, and cause septic conjunctivitis. Antibiotic ointment or eye drops is given to all babies immediately after birth to prevent conjunctivitis and other medical conditions in newborns. Occasionally, this treatment causes a mild chemical conjunctivitis, which is usually self-limiting. Screening has been recommended by CDC in pregnant women for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) to prevent spreading the infection to the baby.

Organism	Screening Recommendations in Pregnant Women
Chlamydia	All pregnant women under 25 years of age Pregnant women, aged 25 and older if at increased risk Retest during the 3rd trimester for women under 25 years of age or at risk Pregnant women with chlamydial infection should have a test-of-cure 3-4 weeks after treatment and be retested within 3 months
Gonorrhea	All pregnant women under 25 years of age and older women if at increased risk Retest 3 months after treatment
Herpes simplex virus	Evidence does not support routine HSV-2 serologic screening among asymptomatic pregnant women. However, type-specific serologic tests might be useful for identifying pregnant women at risk for HSV infection and guiding counseling regarding the risk for acquiring genital herpes during pregnancy